Kathy Wong, the residuals processing administrator at the Directors Guild, died Thursday. She was 62.
The department that Wong headed processes hundreds of millions of dollars in residuals every year for DGA members. During her 10-year career at the union, Wong helped implement service enhancements and technological upgrades that improved the processing of those payments, which can amount to about 20 percent of a member’s income. She was widely liked and respected by guild members, her staff and colleagues, and her counterparts from across the industry.
“The DGA staff mourns the passing of our dear colleague Kathy Wong,” said the union in a statement. “We are still coming to terms with this unexpected loss. She was a dedicated colleague, a caring boss and a good friend. All of us who worked with Kathy will miss her dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kathy’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
Wong graduated from USC magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in broadcast journalism and clinical psychology. Prior to the DGA, she was supervisor of theatrical residuals at Disney and production controller at DIC Entertainment, and she worked in production finance and production accounting roles at ABC Television, including a stint as an associate director of finance for its daytime division.
Earlier, Wong was a unit manager and freelance production manager for Good Morning America and variety specials including the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and American Music Awards. She also freelanced in production consultant roles throughout her career.
Wong is survived by her daughter, Shannon Buttelman, and her brother, Kenny Wong.
