Lillie T. Michaelis' Obituary
Lillie Tom Michaelis passed away peacefully on November 18, 2019. She was born on August 7, 1916 in San Diego and resided in the Bay Area for most of her life.
Lillie was the eldest of five siblings (Esther, Bernice, Edward, Timmie) and one half-sister (Anita). Growing up during the Great Depression, she tirelessly worked many jobs to support herself and help her siblings.
The first job she really enjoyed was at the Cathay House in San Francisco, where she did many things, from serving tea to selling cigarettes. While there, she learned book keeping and how to do payroll, skills that would serve her well in her near future.
Lillie met and married Horace Fong around 1945. Together, they opened and managed Confucius Restaurant in Oakland, Kon Tiki in South Lake Tahoe, and another Confucius in Greenbrae. During their 15 year marriage, they had two daughters, Tina and Lori.
While owning Confucius in Oakland, Lillie met and became friends with Adrian (Mike) and Irene Michaelis. Mike was widowed in early 1965. Lillie and Mike began dating then married in October 1966. Lillie had a very loving and happy 33+ year marriage to Mike. She became a step-mother to his daughter, Sylvia Lewis, and grandma to Gregory Valdez. Mike passed away in May 2000, Tina in May 2002, and Sylvia in January 2016.
Lillie is survived by daughter Lori (Ron), sister Anita, grandson Gregory (Maureen), granddaughters Carlyne and Nancy Jo, and six great-grandchildren: Matthew, Kevin, and Benjamin (from Gregory); Kamau, Kalea, and Kalif (from Carlyne), and a soon-to-be seventh great-grandchild, Blake, from (Nancy Jo). Lillie is also survived by many nieces and nephews, three Koski grandchildren and five Koski great-grandchildren.
Lillie made and kept many friends during her life. In her later years, she received loving care from Lesrene Grant-Scarf, her private live-in caregiver from 2014-2018, and from Nirmala Jay and Golden Living Guest Home caregivers from 2018 until her passing.
Lillie loved to knit, sew, cook and bake. She enjoyed making and giving away her homemade creations to family and friends. Her favorite pastimes included reading, solving word jumbles, shopping, seeing movies, and going out to eat. She was also a very competitive card player.
Lillie always set high expectations for herself and her “next generations”. She believed in the importance of family, of higher education, and of living her life in a way that always expressed love, care, affection, curiosity, and appreciation.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Doctors Without Borders.
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