Sheldon Hom's Obituary
Sheldon Hom (李灼璇) was from Wong Hong Village (沖蔞鎮，西杭鄉，橫杭村) in Taishan County, Guangdong, China, on the second day of the second month in either lunar year 4631 or 4630 (February 25, 1933 or March 8, 1932). He passed away on January 16, 2020, at the Pleasanton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Pleasanton, California, after suffering complications following a fall.
Sheldon attended school in Taishan City before moving to Hong Kong to live with his grandmother. While in Hong Kong, he met his future wife, Jing Mei (菁薇), who lived with her family in one of the rooms his grandmother rented out. Sheldon and Jing Mei fell in love and maintained a long-distance relationship after he moved to Oakland, California, in 1952.
Sheldon was graduated from Oakland Technical High and then held various jobs before becoming an automotive machinist at Armico, 601 Brush Street, Oakland. He saved up and eventually went back to Hong Kong to get married. In 1958, Jing Mei (who was very pregnant at the time) flew to the United States and settled in Oakland with Sheldon. Saving up, while at the same time sending money back to support family in Hong Kong and China, they bought their first house in 1965 in Oakland. There, they looked forward to playing mahjong regularly with their friends. In 1997, they moved to Alameda.
Sheldon pursued creative interests, such as cake decorating, and even tried breadmaking. When his company closed down after he had worked there for decades, he went into business for himself as the owner of the Fat’s Brown Bagger sandwich shop, located next to the Transamerica Pyramid. After he retired, he was able to devote more of his time to his favorite activities: investing in the stock market and going to good Chinese restaurants.
Sheldon and Jing Mei had three children whom they raised and worked hard to put through college: James 源新, Janice 小菁 (Wayne), and Joanne 曼菁 (Alan). In later years, they were blessed with three grandchildren: Jessica, Tony, and Brandon. Sheldon is survived by his brother, Richard Hom of San Leandro, and his half-sister, Nita Lee of San Francisco.
During their time together, Sheldon and Jing Mei enjoyed traveling and was fortunate enough to be able to travel throughout Asia, Europe, and North America with family and with family friends. Sadly, she predeceased him in 1998.
Viewing and visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Chimes Chapel at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, California. A service will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. in the Chimes Chapel at Chapel of the Chimes followed by a procession to his home in Alameda, California. Interment will then follow at Mountain View Cemetery, 5000 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, California.
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