Eloise Fong passed peacefully on January 28 surrounded by family. She lived 97 vibrant years full of adventure, hard work, family and life-long friends. Ellie - or Auntie Ellie, Yinny, or May Dai to her family and friends - was born in San Francisco in 1924 to George Gain Lee and Tel Yet Hom as the oldest of 9 children. Her schooling in China was interrupted when the Japanese bombed Guangzhou (Canton) and she and her siblings returned to the US on one of the last ships out, forced to leave without their mother. Like many, she spent the war years as a Rosie-the-Riverter, waitress, and surrogate mother to her siblings.
She married Chung Gee (Bill) Fong in 1945 after being introduced through a mutual friend. They settled in Los Angeles where they opened the first of several grocery stores, and Ellie gave birth to their son, Stephen. The young family then moved to the Bay Area where daughter Leslie was born. Finally, Ellie and Bill settled in Belmont where they built their house in 1959 during the height of mid-century modern and she lived until the final month of her life. She was a key force at her and her husband’s San Mateo supermarket, Shop N’ Save, where she greeted customers and chased the occasional robber for over 15 years.
Ellie was devoted to her family. She took great joy in her son Stephen and his wife Jan, daughter Leslie and husband Ben, and grandchildren Morgan and Amy and their spouses Dan and Peter, respectively. Her younger siblings George, Helen, Albert, Joann, Mabel, Sharilynne (Sharol), Edward and Elwood were lifelong companions, and Ellie was a beloved aunt to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
When she retired, she traveled the world extensively with her family and friends and was an avid cruiser. Ellie was the oldest person to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge when she was 93. Her family and travels provided the focus for her passions for photography, creating photo albums, collecting crystal pieces, enjoying great food, and shopping. Her 97 years were a testament to a life well lived, as is the loving memory in which she is held by all.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Rosie the Riveter Trust, P.O. Box 71126, Richmond, CA 94807-1126.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.