Tina Chaung's Obituary
Tina Chaung (Ma Tin Tin Yi) was a beloved wife, mother, sister, auntie and dear friend. She was born in Rangoon, Burma on March 21st, 1957 to U Hun Kyi and Daw Thein (Kim Lean Tan) and and was the youngest and only daughter of six. After a 3-year battle with lung cancer, she passed away at the age of 62 in her home in Alameda, California on May 23, 2019 surrounded by family. Tina is survived by her husband, Frank, and her children, Michele and Daniel.From an early age, Tina learned the value of work hard. Her father had passed away when she was 2 years old, meaning she took on much responsibility in helping her mother and her older brothers maintain the household. Academically, Tina was a serious student and always at the top of her class, an accomplishment she took pride in as well as for pragmatic reasons as the top students would be rewarded free school supplies for the next year. She majored in Chemistry at the Arts and Sciences University in Rangoon garnering distinctions in her studies.In 1981, Tina immigrated to San Jose, California with one suitcase and only $12 in her pocket. That same year on May 12, 1981, Tina married Frank Tong and they lived together in San Francisco. In 1985, they opened a booming restaurant business, Asia Chinese Food, that expanded into multiple locations, all in San Francisco. On Christmas Day in 1989, she and her family moved to her permanent home in Alameda, California.Over the course of her life she wore many hats and worked various careers from helping out at her mother’s store in Burma when growing up, working as a tailor during University, a bank teller, owning successful restaurants for over 2 decades, and as an insurance agent. Tina then studied and became a Medical Assistant at the reputable Asian Health Services, a non-profit that provided health, social, and advocacy services to promote health equity and access to healthcare for all. She found her time there extremely rewarding as she always beamed brightly when she spoke of her work and colleagues. Tina had a warm and nurturing heart whose love knew no bounds. Her home was always open to friends and family to come-and-go as needed while they attended school or when seeking refuge during harder times. She was also the primary caretaker of her beloved mother who lived in Tina’s home in Alameda until her passing in April, 1998.She was an incredible chef and took much pride in her cooking as she had learned to cook at a young age and specializing in Burmese, Fujian, and Chinese cuisine. With her gifted tasting palette and skilled cooking techniques, she loved to cook for family and friends. She was also a foodie at heart and loved to try new cuisines and restaurants; some of her favorite foods to eat were Mohinga (Burmese Fish Chowder), Korean BBQ, Sashimi, and Green Mangoes. Besides cooking, Tina was gifted in languages. She was fluent in Burmese, Mandarin, English, and conversant in Cantonese and Fujianese. Tina spiritually practiced Theravāda Buddhism. She was active in her Buddhist community and enjoyed visiting and donating to temples as a practice of generosity (dana).Tina was a vibrant, curious, and adventurous spirit. She had a passion for travel and visited many countries, as well as road-tripped all over and across the United States. She was always on the move, cooking up a dish, or had her finger in various projects. For leisure she enjoyed hiking, biking, shopping, sewing, Chinese and Korean dramas, cooking shows (such as Iron Chef or Mark Wiens of Migrationology), and singing.Until her final days, she maintained a wonderfully silly sense of humor and always made many laugh and smile, especially children and babies. Her thoughtfulness, generosity and positive outlook even in the darkest times was an inspiration to all whom had the privilege of knowing her. She truly was one of a kind.Reception to follow at 2pm: Grand Palace Restaurant 359 Grand Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080 Phone: (650)872-1000Lunch will be provided by the family.Tina’s favorite song:Theresa Teng — Yue liang dai biao wo den xin — “The Moon Represents My Heart”
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