Betty Kin Dong's Obituary
Betty was born in San Francisco California, the third of four children for her parents. Her mother was an immigrant from China who never learned to speak English for fear of saying something incorrectly. It was the doctors or nurses who gave Betty and her siblings their American names by which they would always be referred at home.
Betty was always conscientious and responsible, even as a young girl. By age 13 she was helping in the family-owned mom and pop grocery store, C. Lim & Son Groceries.
As a young woman, Betty loved to travel with her many friends; included in their adventures were Catalina Island, Los Angeles, San Diego, Reno and Lake Tahoe.
Ballroom dancing and Chinese nightclubs were some of Betty’s favorite activities.
Her early working years were spent at Auto News and Naval Supply. Betty made friends easily, many whom enjoyed her friendship for decades. She kept in touch by telephone and the now lost art of letter and card writing.
Betty married Roger Dong in January 1956. He was a sergeant in the US Army during their engagement. Upon his discharge from the service in August 1956, they took their delayed honeymoon, traveling to Virginia, Washington DC, New York, Michigan, and Toronto, Canada. Niagara Falls, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and the UN Building were some highlights she wrote home about.
After her children were born, Betty became a dedicated, stay-at-home mother. Butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, Rice Krispies treats, Jello creations and delicious homemade meals came out of her modest kitchen.
She returned to work when her children were older; she held several clerical positions with the Oakland Unified School District.
Over the years, she continued her travels with family or friends. Hong Kong, Macau, China, Japan, Thailand and London were all stamps in her passport.
Family was extremely important to Betty. Her children were her number one priority, and she adored her four grandchildren, Zack, Mack, Jonathan and Lauren, and great-granddaughter Cali.
She was diagnosed in 2007 with Lewy body dementia and remained in care until her death on February 16, 2018.
She will be missed by her family and many friends.
Betty is survived by daughter Alison S. Chambers, son Christopher L. Dong, daughter-in-law Mary Ann Dong, grandchildren Zachary “Zack” Chambers, Matthew “Mack” Chambers, Jonathan Dong, Lauren Dong, great-granddaughter Cali Caitlin Chambers, sisters Gladys L. Hoh, Annie P. Ong, nieces, nephews and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her loving parents, Chin Lim and Kan Shee Lim, and her beloved older brother, Raymond M. Lim.
Per her wishes, she will be cremated and buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland next to her parents.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 11:30am, in the Chimes Chapel at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California. A lunch reception will be held immediately following the services.
In lieu of flowers, our family would suggest a donation to an organization furthering research in the area of lewy body dementia.
UCSF Memory and Aging Center makeagift.ucsf.edu/brain
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