John On of Berkeley, California passed away peacefully on March 24, 2013. John lived a full and satisfying life for over 90 years. He was the devoted husband of the late Lillian On for over 55 years. He is the loving father of Craig (wife Sylvia), Sharon and the late Pamela, as well as being an adoring grandfather (Jennifer and Michelle) and step grandfather (Lourdes, Veronica, Catherine and Joanna). He is also survived by his sisters Eva Chang and Dorothy Joe, as well as by many in-law spouses, nephews, nieces and relatives.
Born in Yreka, California on October 26, 1922, he attended and graduated from Yreka High School and moved to San Francisco in the late 1930’s. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1943 and soon entered active service in Kunming, China as part of the 14th Service Group, which was the ground and administrative support group for the infamous Flying Tigers. Honorably discharged from the Army in 1946, John attended Heald College and earned his AA degree in Engineering. He married Lillian in 1948 and soon thereafter joined Kaiser Engineers in Oakland, California, where he worked for over 37 years.
John was a generous, loving and kind-hearted man. He was one of the original members of the Oakland Chinese Golf Club. Whether with OCGC or with his friends, he enjoyed and thrived on the game of golf for many years. He also was an avid and long-time fan of the San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49’ers. The family would always remember seeing him glued to the television set, watching and rooting for his teams. In addition to golf and watching sports, he enjoyed playing mah jong, as well as making the occasional sojourn to Reno or Lake Tahoe, in order to try his luck on the slot machines. He was a great cook and hosted many a dinner and holiday party, as well as outdoor barbeques, at the house. The preparation and consumption of good food was something that was important to him in the way he expressed his love and gratitude for family and friends. These are just some of the attributes and memories that will remain in our hearts and minds forever. John will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
A Celebration of John’s life will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at the SUNSET VIEW MORTUARY at Colusa and Fairmount Avenues in El Cerrito at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the American Cancer Society.
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