Julia May Wong's Obituary
July 25, 1930 – January 24, 2024
Julia May Wong, 93, of El Cerrito, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2024. Her family was able to visit with Julia in the final days surrounding her with prayers and love. Julia was preceded in death by her husband, Richard J. Wong, who passed away in July of 2023. Julia was born on July 25, 1930, in Hangchow, China, the eldest daughter of Dr. Elbert Chung and Mrs. Celia Tam Chung. Her two sisters, Mamie and Jennie, were born in the next few years and the three remained close throughout their lives.
Julia’s father was the Surgeon General of Nationalist China but when the communists took over China, she and her family left for the USA. They were passengers on the S.S. Matsonia and arrived in San Pedro/Los Angeles in 1938. Julia and her family settled in Los Angeles where she attended school and eventually graduated from UCLA in 1952 with a BS degree in Business.
After graduation, Julia met Richard in Los Angeles at a family party after his discharge from the army. Richard was from Emeryville, so when she subsequently visited Oakland the following year to attend the Miss Chinatown Pageant, they reconnected. During this visit, Richard proposed to Julia during a picnic at Lake Temescal. They were married on October 25, 1953, in Los Angeles. After the wedding, Julia moved to Northern California where Richard’s family resided. She and Richard bought a home in Berkeley where their three children, Richard, Diane & Don, were born. As the family grew, a bigger home was needed and they moved to their permanent residence in El Cerrito.
Family gatherings were high on Julia’s list of activities she enjoyed. She relished being a part of Richard’s large family and she would help organize birthday parties, family outings, and picnics for everyone. She planned many summer trips to Los Angeles to visit her family and to take her children to Disneyland. Julia and Richard were part of a social group that played poker, mahjong, and were members of a bowling league. They hosted many evenings of good-natured playing and enjoyed late night snacks with their friends. Once a month, the group would take their winnings and go out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. These close relationships lasted throughout their lives.
Julia’s career spanned several areas of administration, including working at the California Interagency Council on Family Planning, a local dental office, and finally, UC Berkeley’s Business School where she held administrative and supervisory roles in both the Undergraduate and Graduate/MBA Business programs. While Julia officially retired from the UC system in 1993, she was re-hired for several years afterwards on a part-time basis to coordinate the evaluation of MBA applications (approximately 4,000 each year).
Julia traveled to China several times after retirement – she wanted to reconnect with family, see the Terra Cotta Soldiers, and visit her family home in Shanghai. Other travels she enjoyed included taking an Alaskan cruise with her sisters where she took a helicopter ride over the glaciers, riding the rails across Canada with her sister, Jennie, and seeing the sights of New York with her daughter, Diane. A Hawaiian holiday with her son, Don, and his family created lasting memories. Julia and Richard liked taking family to Lake Tahoe to share the lakeside views and attempt their luck at the casinos. Her adventurous experiences were catalogued in the many photo albums she and Richard maintained.
Julia’s interests were varied over her lifetime. She was an avid UCLA and Cal sports fan and regularly watched the SF Giants and Warriors games; oftentimes, calling one of her children after an exciting contest to discuss the fine points of the game. Julia learned about the importance of meditation from her mother and continued that tradition throughout her life, including receiving certification from a Pranic Healing course after she retired. Julia had a developed spiritual life which included supporting her children’s religious beliefs; she wholeheartedly enjoyed attending their church events and performances.
She will be remembered for many things but especially her rendition of the Hula dance she and her sisters would perform; her enjoyment of See’s truffles; her colorful fruit-layered Jello which she would contribute to all family celebrations; her Dixie Fry fried chicken which she would cook for road trips; her fascination with all things sparkly be it a ring, necklace, or earrings as she was always well-coordinated in her outfit; the birthday celebrations with a multi-layered dream cake from the former Neldam’s bakery. Overall, Julia’s dedication to her family – both immediate and extended – were evident in her enjoyment and support of their activities. She was especially proud that her children were all Cal alums, an educational institution for which she dedicated most of her career.
Julia is survived by her children, Richard (Virginia), Diane (Mike) and Don (Jeanne); grandchildren, Amy (Andrew), Stephen (Krista), Julie, Jordan, Kirsten, and Lindsey; and great granddaughters Lucy and Mackenzie; her sister, Jennie Quan, and her nieces, Lisa Quan and Melinda Lee; in-laws: Mary (Tim), Ray (Jennifer), Dan (Vicky), David (Josie), Tommy (Catherine) and Jerry (Andrea); and many nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Julia was predeceased by her sister, Mamie McGee and her brother-in-law, Merle McGee.
The family wishes to thank Merrill Gardens Memory Care facility staff and her Suncrest Hospice team for the support, compassion, and care she received from them in the latter part of her life. Her time spent under their care was special and meaningful to Julia and her family.
A Celebration of Julia’s life will be held on Saturday, May 4th at 2:00 pm at Bay Hills Community Church, 4555 Hilltop Drive, El Sobrante, CA 94803.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, https://www.alz.org/, in memory of Julia May Wong or to the charity of your choice.
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