Lily Tom Wong

Lily Tom Wong (nee Lily Hom Shew) was born in Carmel, CA to Haw Toy H. Shew and Ng Shee on December 20, 1924. Her father, a chef, and her mother, a housekeeper, raised Lily and her late brother Gin Gan Tom in Carmel for eight years.

In 1932, her father retired and the family relocated to Toishan, China. Lily's family endured poverty and the Japanese invasion of China, before and during World War II. Lily chose to have her marriage arranged, and selected Sing Lee Wong from several potential suitors. Sing Lee was living in the USA at the time, where he owned and operated a laundry business in Santa Rosa, CA while also living in and enjoying the vibrant culture of Chinatown, San Francisco.

Lily returned to the USA to marry Sing Lee in Oakland on November 3rd, 1948.

Together they continued to operate the laundry in Santa Rosa off Third Street in the Roseland area. In the 1950s, Sing Lee had a significant gambling win: he won a restaurant in Petaluma, including the building and property. Sing Lee and Lily ran their restaurant, Cafe Public, for several decades, during which time they raised a family of 5 children and built a new building, a few blocks east on Washington Street.

Sing Lee passed December 24th, 1975. Lily continued to run the restaurant with the help of her nephew Nang Tam and his family, all of whom she helped sponsor to come to this country. Lily also helped sponsor the family friends of her half-brother, whom she only met later in life, after being estranged from her father. The number of people she helped lift out of poverty in this way is long. She evidenced strength, determination and kindness in equal measure throughout her life.

After entrusting operations of Cafe Public to the Tam family, Lily accepted a job at Sunset Line and Twine on Lakeville Street. She worked in that historic building for another several decades before retiring when Sunset Line and Twine closed their doors in 2007.

Lily stayed incredibly active in her retirement with activities including yoga, tai chi, gardening, crochet, dance, frequenting The Petaluma Senior Center, and attending services at Petaluma Valley Baptist Church. She loved enjoying wine and good food, and traveling to see her family who spread out across this country. She was a private person, keeping her own home independently until the last few years of her life, when she began to need some help from family.

Lily lived a full life of 96 years, passing away on Mother's Day, May 9th, 2021, comfortably at home, surrounded by family. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Joyce Wong. Surviving her are her children; Angler Watson (David), Fanty Owens (Clifford, deceased), Anne Sachs (John), and Roland Wong, her grandchildren; Eli Sachse, Albert Sachs, and Kimberlee Schneider (David), and her great-grandchildren; Gavin and Siena Schneider.

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