Cecelia Q. Chun's Obituary
Cecelia “Cissy” Q. Chun, Mom was born Kiuling Ah Sing, on Sept 6, 1924 and was delivered by mid-wife, (her uncle), in Kaunakakai, Molokai. She was named after her mother Kekelia (Cecelia) and then renamed “Kealoha Pau ‘Ole”, the love that is forever. Mom’s life was idyllic, she rode to school on horseback; swam in the sacred falls and pools; and watched as her own mother caught fish and squid by hand, ate the green crabs raw from the sea and carried 100 lb., sacks of taro to the poi factory for processing…and at the end of the work day, she lit the opium pipes of her grandfather’s workmen, her “calabash” uncles.
Mom completed her education on O’ahu, where she lived with her cousins and slept at least 3 to a bed, alternating foot to head like match sticks. Mom recalled her first job as a trimmer at Dole Pineapple, where she was hired by her cousin, who was “forelady.” Mom was a terrible trimmer, dropping the pine frequently, slow and unpopular with her coworkers making 75 cents an hour. Her next job was with the famous Lau Yee Chai Restaurant and bar in Waikiki, she was the vivacious and charming hostess until she realized waitresses made more money and got tipped.
Mom met Dad on vacation to San Francisco and again at the University of Hawaii, and after a few dates realized this young man’s ambitions and goals matched her own. They married at Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, in San Francisco, on June 12, 1949. The wedding was attended by a few friends; and several days later mom sent for her own mother to join them. They lived on Sacramento Street, in San Francisco until they bought their first home, in Visitation Valley and their first car, a two toned green Pontiac in 1954/55. By that time, she had two children, Denise and Alan.
Dad attended the Art Academy in San Francisco and became an Art Director for Lockheed Missiles and Space; and Mom began her long and illustrious career as a civil servant, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and later Defense Contracts, DCASMA, at the Presidio in San Francisco and then in San Bruno, California. She received many accolades but what she remembered with pride was “Super Saturdays” where economically disadvantaged students were recruited for federal internship positions. She was particularly proud of her one young candidate, a student who later went to law school and became an Appellate Law Judge in San Jose.
Mom traveled extensively and her favorite places were Greece and Ireland, where the food was good and she felt so welcomed. Mom later replaced traveling with dinner parties and activities closer to home. Twice a month Mom and Dad would host poker and mah jong games, filling the house with laughter, celebration, festivities and a lot of little old people.
Mom loved “The Sound of Music” and “The King and I” and would sing the “do rae me” song…and braid Denise’s hair every morning before she left for work. Denise would watch as my Mom walked to the bus stop and sat at the window waiting for her return. Sundays were reserved for Westerns and old Doris Day reruns. The family’s favorite Friday night meal was
“won ton” from an alley kitchen in Chinatown; and their favorite snack was home made pizza with English muffins, tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella and jullian dry salami.
Mom was attracted to the works by Monet, Gauguin and El Greco but her tastes also ran to the avant-garde, taking her children to view Dali exhibits in private homes in Hillsborough, California. The family frequented the de Young museum and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco because of the Avery Brundage Collection, of Chinese Imperial Court art and artifacts. Mom loved imperial court jewelry.
Mom never fully retired, being too full of energy and needing to feel productive…never much one for housework but kept things neat and tidy. She always wanted to return home to Hawaii and missed her mother and Dad. When she turned 90 she began to slow and spoke of herself as “getting old”. Mom enjoyed grocery shopping on weekends and plate lunches from Takahashi’s Market, in San Mateo, California. Mother and daughter, Denise would park behind the Delaware Street post office and eat in Mom’s van like two old homeless women laughing. When Denise’s schedule permitted the two lunched at restaurants on the San Mateo County coast and at other times, Butano Start Park for picnics with the beloved family dog, ‘Ike Pono. Amongst the tall trees of the forest in the filtered sunlight of the afternoon, Mom read her paperbacks, while Denise walked ‘Ike and chatted with Ron Stevenson, Mom’s favorite “haole boy”.
Early this year, Mom fell ill. On February 6, 2018 she was hospitalized and fell into a deep sleep and was difficult to rouse. Denise was by her mother’s side during the entire hospitalization, day and night, save for a quick daily trip home to shower and change clothes, sleeping on a cot provided by the hospital. On February 13, Denise awoke to the sound of Mom’s voice…there was that musical lilt a way of speaking that one associates with old Hawaii. She was lucid and focused and the two talked and talked for several hours. Mom’s first words were, “it’s time for forgiveness, I have to go and will be going soon…I don’t want you to be sad and I would have preferred to have lived with you, as you are clean” (Denise laughed and Mom smiled). She told Denise the name of an angel she was talking to and that there were three…she said she was in heaven and there was no pain and she could walk again…she could see Dad and her mother was with her…and then she turned and said, “You are with us and we are all together again”. Mom began to slip into that other world more fully and finally passed away, on Feb 15, at Mills Peninsula Hospital, in Burlingame, California.
It is with sadness and joy that the family now bids Mom a fond farewell…until we meet again.
Aloha ‘oe, O ka haliʻa aloha i hiki mai (Fond memories bring me back), Ke hone aʻe nei I (and renew sweet ones), Kuʻu Manawa (of times past) until we meet again, Aloha ‘oe….
Cecelia Q. Chun, will be buried at Valley of the Temples at 12:00 PM, 30 March 2018.
Visitation and refreshments begins at 10:00 AM, in the Chapel at Valley of the Temples in Kaneohe.
Services are at 11:00 AM and the burial at Noon. A luncheon is scheduled at 1:00 PM, at the Kin Wah Restaurant, 45-588 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe. Please contact Denise M. Chun, 650-245-6818, regarding luncheon.
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