Hing Tim Kong's Obituary
Hing Tim Kong was born on October 28th, 1918 in the Huadu district of Guangzhou, China. She was the oldest daughter of Wing Chee Lo (father) and Pui Lan Kong (mother), and sibling to Jan Young (sister-deceased).At the age of 17, Hing was united in marriage with John Lee Kong through a family acquaintance and found herself moving in with him in November 1934. Shortly after, they grew the family to include two children: John and Harriet.Hing was a strong and independent woman. In 1955, the family immigrated from China to Hong Kong. For the first eleven years, while her husband was expanding the family business interests abroad, she made a comfortable and nurturing home for their two children. Even though she was busy raising her children, Hing worked hard to help take care of close family friends who had immigrated with them. In 1966, the entire family immigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area.Drawing upon their entrepreneurial spirit, Hing and John Lee started a neighborhood grocery store, Oakwood Market, in East Palo Alto. The store was successful and was in business for twenty-one years from 1966 until their retirement in 1987. Throughout that time, Hing continued to care for those around her, making daily meals for not just her family, but all employees of the market as well.Despite her husband’s death in 1996, Hing continued to live a full life until ninety-seven with the loving support of her large family. She will be remembered as a woman that loved her family to the very end.Hing will be greatly missed by her two children, John of Manteca, CA, and Harriet of Lake Forest, CA; four grandchildren, Tony of Dove Canyon, CA, Patrick of Belmont, CA, Stephanie of Allen, TX, and John of Philadelphia, PA; two great-grandchildren, Caitlyn and Benjamin of Dove Canyon, CA; three brothers and sisters in-law; four nephews; nine nieces; twenty-eight grand nephews and nieces, and many friends.
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