Edith Soo Jung, Sister, Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother

Edith Soo was born on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) in 1922. She was the sixth of 11 children born to Bing Nam and Susie. Born in Berkeley, she took on the traits of her parents and her place of birth. Being a middle child, she learned from her older siblings and took care of the younger ones. She wanted to be a nurse when growing up, but she was dissuaded by others from what seemed to be a messy job. Later she returned to that interest. She always said her father taught her that there is money all over the streets if you know how to find it. Her father and uncles ran stores in Berkeley, so they never went hungry even during the Depression, eating the fruit and vegetables that customers would not buy in time. They lived on 7th Street, near the railroad tracks.

Mom did well in school, winning a spelling bee and graduating early from Berkeley High. She took her first job in Richmond at National Dollar Store. She met my father, Fong, at her house, where their mothers played cards and Mah Jong. She chose him among many since he was steady and not demanding. They married in 1950 and later had three children, living first in Berkeley and then in El Cerrito. Though they had modest means, they were able to purchase their EC home while Dad was laid off, since Mom worked. Dad was a diabetic and had high blood pressure. Since Mom did not want to be a young widow, she convinced Dad to give up being a produce buyer, often lifting 50 lb. sacks of potatoes, for a new field in computers. They took classes to how to work with computers, and both were hired by the US Government, Dad working the night shift and Mom the swing shift, to be with the children during the day.

Since Mom had rheumatoid arthritis, she later was on disability from her key punch job. But she kept busy working in telephone sales and selling Avon products. She planned all kinds of educational opportunities for us children, tutors for classes, plus music and sports lessons and teams. She sent us to private schools when she thought it best, as sacrifice for her children was important. But she also said that she worked hard and played hard. We took trips to many places. As children, we camped along the Russian River and even Bass Lake during the winter. One summer we took a camper van across the USA to go to the World’s Fair in Montreal. It was an epic trip, with my brother and I tenting in places, even NYC. We saw the our big country and heard all kinds of accents.

She raised us to be independent and when we all graduated from college, she pursued her old interest in medicine as a medical assistant, going to Contra Costa College and getting her AA degree while in her late fifties. The job was her best job ever, working at Kaiser Richmond in the allergy clinic, greeting patients and cleaning syringes. She worked there for 10 years and retired with full medical coverage – for life. She knew Kaiser inside and out, so that when retired she maximized their health benefits. She even retained the Blue Cross benefits from Fong’s plan to get double or triple coverage until she was busted two decades later.

Playing hard extended to her travels, which were extensive. Mom and Dad would take tours and cruises all around the world. One interstate bus trip ended up in bringing their most recent pet dog home in a shoebox. They earned a companion pass, giving free airfare to family companions on SW Airlines by taking over 40 flights per year. She learned about this deal from her senior swim class at Berkeley High. Later, Mom and Dad would take us all on cruises together. One to Mexico, one among the Hawaiian Islands, and one to the Caribbean. She said – how else could she get us all to enjoy so many meals together? She usually ordered 3 to 4 extra plates for us to all share.

When they bought the EC house, it was barren outside and cavernous inside with a huge “rumpus room” downstairs. Though she filled with it with tenants while we were in college, she later decided to make the downstairs into a separate unit, so they could rent out the upstairs flat.

Her spiritual journey was also unique. She did not take to her mother’s Buddhist ways. She took us children to the local Methodist church for moral instruction and later attended there. Dad later attended Berkeley Chinese Baptist Church. After Dad passed, she continued travels with many of her lady friends, some of whom shared their faith with her. Before her bypass operation, she enjoyed going to a local church’s evening service. After her pacemaker operation, she enjoyed listening to Family Radio, which she enjoyed until her last days. She always said to us Praise the Lord for all the blessings we have, which were many.

The last few years were difficult ones when she could not drive herself, so she booked ParaTransit regularly and even hopped the senior bus to visit nearby museums and sites. She loved tending to her beautiful, fruit-bearing garden and wanted to stay near it and her home as much as possible, pulling weeds for as long as she was able. When she need more assistance the past year, she lived at Elders Inn, next door to two dim sum restaurants on Alameda’s Webster Street. She loved to eat meals with our family there, even through the pandemic, bundling up for the cold months on the outdoor patio. She would want to you join her also. So our refreshment offers a few of her favorite dim sum bites, as well as her favorite chocolate desserts. We hope you enjoy them as we remember her.

She passed away on July 4th peacefully without pain after a night of singing and prayers in the company of loved ones. She is survived by her sister, Lily; son Rod (wife Judi), daughter Cindy (husband Philip), son Jeff; grandchildren: Tina (husband Ricky), Charissa, Andrew, Katie and great-grandsons Nathaniel and Zachariah.