William Lum

馬 威 霖

(January 31, 1931 - May 22, 2021)

William Lum was born and raised in Jeung Gar Bin village near the city of Sek Kei, Zhong-Shan County, Guangdong, China. He was the eldest son, the first of 5 children born to Mah Gum Cheong and Jung Yee King. He had many happy memories of family and friends, growing up in his village. From a young age, he dedicated himself to education and was the most scholarly in the bunch. His skill in classical Chinese was notable. The sudden change came with WWII. After the war, in 1948, William emigrated with his father, sister Way-Yee, Marian, and brother Waymen, to Locke, California to work in the orchards of the Central Valley picking pears and flowers in Palo Alto. William attended Polytechnic High School while working in San Francisco. It was in California that he picked up his beloved sport, tennis. Soon after, he and the family worked to bring first, sister Linda, and then Mother, and youngest brother, Wylie.

Determined from a young age to complete his education, William worked his way through college. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1960 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. He was the first in the family to earn a 4-year degree! He met Szeto Yen (Joan) in Los Angeles and they married in San Francisco and honeymooned in Monterey, California. William and Joan parented Lisa in Los Angeles before buying the house in South Pasadena in 1965. Becky and Elmo soon followed. Of course, he taught all 3 kids tennis. The couple invested in a number of rental properties with friends and family and he started his second career as a property owner and manager. William continued to work as a Hydraulics Engineer for CalTrans, until he retired in 1997. After retirement, he continued managing the Southern California real estate. He also continued playing tennis. His grandchildren, Liam and Sophie, brought him great joy. He enjoyed traveling around the world and painting Chinese watercolors. He returned to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012 and stayed until he passed away peacefully.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, his children Lisa, Becky, and Elmo, his son-in-law, Michael, and his grandchildren, Liam and Sophie. He’s also survived by his sisters, Marian and Linda and his youngest brother, Wylie. He will always be remembered for his humor, his smile, his optimism, his social nature, and his dedication.