Jon M. Chew

A devoted husband and father who enjoyed life most in the company of his family, preferably with either a rod and reel or golf club in his hands, died July 30 in Sacramento. He was 69. He passed away due to complications related to heart surgery.

Jon, born in Courtland, was the oldest of Jack and Ling Chew's four children. He was a graduate of McClatchy High School and Sacramento State University, where he earned a degree in business. He would later take over and operate his father's independent insurance company in Sacramento, Jack Chew & Co.

He met his bride-to-be, the former Karon Foo, at a picnic with friends. Their courtship was interrupted when Jon joined the U.S. Army. He served as a corporal, stationed in Germany and Washington, D.C., before being honorably discharged.

In 1975, he married Karen and made their home in Sacramento. Together they would have three children. Their lives became his life. He reveled in family gatherings, especially occasions that brought his large extended family members and his friends together.

Jon Chew had inherited a lifelong passion for golf from his parents and he passed it on to his wife and children. He served on the board of Sacramento Senior Chinese Golf Club. Jon was also an ardent fisherman who you could find plying the rivers and slews of Sacramento. the Delta, and San Francisco Bay in search of steelhead, salmon, striped bass, and trout.

Jon, who was preceded in death by his parents, is survived by his wife, Karen Chew; two sons, Jarrett Chew and Jacob Chew, both of Sacramento, his daughter, Tracey Sarmiento, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and two grandchildren, Rae and Sydney. He is also survived by his three sisters, Cindy Fong, of Concord, Jacqueline Tsang and Lisa Sumida, both of Sacramento.

A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday 2 p.m., Aug. 4, at Harry A. Nauman & Son, 4041 Freeport Ave, Sacramento.

Published in The Sacramento Bee on August 3, 2013