Lois Mar's Obituary
Lois Mar was born in Fresno, California on 12-18-1923. She passed away peacefully, in the company of family on 7-11-2013. Lois was perhaps only two years old when her mother died. She was sent to Canton to receive a Chinese education. In 1938, Susan Mah, her half-brother’s wife, brought the Mah’s back to Fresno, California due to the war in China. Lois, who needed to relearn English, graduated from Edison High School in 1943. Lois and her niece Helen were recruited to work in the aircraft industry in San Diego. The war effort enabled many women, including Chinese-American women, to work outside the home in new types of occupations.After the war, Lois went to UC Berkeley and attended for about three years. She liked to say that she majored in bridge. In 1951, upon leaving UC Berkeley, she went to work at Dean Witter (now Morgan Stanley) in San Francisco. When the Mah’s visited San Francisco, Lois treated them to see Broadway musicals. She provided housing and meals for her nephews Glenn, Dennis, Kai Ho, and Carson when they attended college in the Bay Area. She was famous for her New Year’s jai. Lois was the aunt to 12 Mah siblings and the great-aunt to 29 nieces and nephews. She was extraordinarily generous to them with her time, advice, and gifts. Lois worked at Dean Witter for 37 years without ever taking a day off for sick leave. She retired in 1988.Lois, a single woman of adventurous spirit, went everywhere in the world. She filled four passports and set foot in over fifty countries. She was a member of the first Chinese-American tour to China after Nixon’s 1975 trip. They had a banquet dinner with Chou En-lai, and on another occasion had tea on yellow china that purportedly was used by the last emperor. As she grew older she liked to go on cruises with her bridge friends and meet other players from Europe and Latin America. She was an excellent tennis player who regularly bested her friends, including her male partners. She enjoyed swimming, golf, bowling, and was a 49er season ticket holder for over 20 years. She joined the Chinese Bridge Club in 1959. One of her best friends and partners, Izzy Wong, would crow exuberantly when they won. On day trips to Reno, she would often win at blackjack and treat her travel companions to dinner.Lois loved her independence and the freedom to choose her own path. She enjoyed her last apartment in Berkeley, which had a beautiful view of the bay and all three bridges. She was elegant in dress, handwriting and in mind. She greeted close friends and family with a cheerful “What’s up?” She will be missed by her many nieces and nephews, their children and her loving friends. Carson, Chere and their children will miss her wit, wisdom and good company.It was her wish that there be no service or memorial. Donations may be made in her memory to Seva Foundation, 1786 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 or On Lok, Inc., 1333 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. Seva provides vital eyecare in many of the Asian countries that Lois loved to visit.
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