Philip A. Lum

May 1930 - January 2019

We are sad to announce that Philip A. Lum passed away peacefully on the morning of January 29, 2019 after a brief illness.

A second generation San Franciscan, he was the son of Philip P. Lum and Jessie Y. Lum, and moved early in his youth to Oakland. Educated at Maryknoll (Mountain View) and St. Joseph’s High School (Alameda), Phil attained his BA at USF. In 1954, he married his beloved wife, Betty Lum, who passed away in 2014. After graduation, Phil taught English, Latin and journalism in Gustine and San Bernardino, before returning to teach in his hometown of San Francisco.

He earned his MJ and PhD at U.C. Berkeley, and became a long-time San Francisco Unified School District administrator. Phil served at many locations, including Galileo High School, Lowell High School, Balboa High School, Roosevelt Middle School, and Lincoln High School. He had the distinction of being one of the earliest known Chinese American principals of any high school in the United States, and was the last official principal of Polytechnic High School.

After retirement, Phil remained active in the education field as he consulted for The College Board and the Graduate School of Education at U.C. Berkeley. He and Betty enjoyed sightseeing in Europe and China, and attending Broadway shows in New York City. Throughout his life he continued his hobby of collecting and maintaining a portfolio of coins and stamps.

Phil was the brother to Fran, Victoria (Ben), and John (Lorraine). He leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, grand nephews, and grand nieces, along with many relatives in Hawaii. Phil is survived by sons Stephen and Timothy (Karima), along with granddaughter Zoey, and great grandchildren Joaquim, Khayleb, and Khaiyah.

A small, private memorial event will held at a later date.