Mignon Jan Tau

April 28, 1925 - January 25, 2021

Mignon Jan “Mickey” Tau was born in Fresno, California to Mew Un Lee and Mun Ching Jan. In 1931 the family moved to San Francisco Chinatown. The Depression years were difficult for everyone, but she still found delight in sharing moments of childhood joys which often included food. “On Fridays, if there was an extra 25 cents, Mother would order a Sun Wah Que pork chop dinner that she would split four ways. These were our lucky Fridays and this is how the family learned to enjoy “American” food.”

When Mignon graduated, the country was at war. To support the war effort, many women became shipyard welders. But shaped by multiple after school jobs ranging from cleaning houses in the Sunset and Marina to working as a file and grocery clerk, Mignon knew she wanted more out of life. Learning that the war effort needed draftsmen, she completed a drafting course and then applied for a job at Link Belt Company. She was possibly the second woman and first Chinese draftsperson to be hired in the large male dominated Drafting Department. This was a barrier breaking decision by a woman who took pride in calling herself a “Chinatown Gal.” Mignon met her future husband John when he first set eyes on her while on a furlough from the Army Airforce. She was selling movie tickets at the local Chinatown Grand View Theatre and he got his friend to set up a “blind” date. After a two year courtship, Mignon and John married and became lifelong partners for 70 years. Mignon became the matriarch of the family, bringing together family and friends for dinners and parties where her fine cooking made these gatherings ever more memorable.

Mignon felt it important that her daughters experienced the rich multifaceted art and history museums in the City. She would dress up the girls to attend ballets, symphonies, live theatre and the opera. She was an avid reader and instilled in her girls the joy of reading the love for local public libraries. It was not unusual to see a stack of library books by her bedside. Retirement time never meant idle time for Mignon. She happily shifted her main skills and talents in new directions finding delight challenging herself. Her passion for arts and crafts showed itself in her sewing, where she made dolls, quilts and holiday decorations for all the children in her life but also for community groups. Finally, she was an amazing grandmother whose unconditional love and attention and grandmotherly guidance helped ground them to become the amazing adults they are today. Mignon is survived by her two daughters Leslie Margaret Tau Holzhausen and Pam Tau Lee, her brother Lyle, sister-in-law Eva, son-in-laws Gary Holzhausen and Ben Lee, four grandchildren Dennis, Alex, George and Erika, nephew Gerald and nieces Toni and Lori. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor can be made to Hospice By the Bay.