Elizabeth Chen Jong

January 26, 1922 - July 28, 2015

Last Tuesday, our mother Elizabeth Chen Jong passed away quietly at 8:55 am, July 28, 2015.

Born in Swatow, China, Elizabeth was the only daughter in a family with seven brothers, and given the Chinese name “Bright Pearl.” Entering elementary school, she soon became “Betty”, while the British nursing school in Hong Kong, gave her the proper name “Elizabeth”. Her plans to go to America to become a doctor were cut short by WWII, as she served as a surgical nurse for the American Red Cross and 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG), the famed “Flying Tigers”. But her dream of America did come true, as she fell in love with American-born Chinese Captain Francis Jong of the US Flying Tigers. They were married on December 18,1945 in Shanghai, China, some of the first to liberate the city after the Japanese surrender.

From a wealthy family in China, she ended up living with Francis in a simple farmhouse in the historic Sacramento delta farm community of Locke, California, but soon her family moved to Berkeley and then El Cerrito. Her final years were in Oakland at Lake Park Retirement after Francis’ passing.

Francis and “Lizzie” were active members of the Cal Alumni Association and Flying Tigers Alumni. They took annual vacations to U.C. Berkeley’s Lair of the Bear (where they met a 3-year old who became their beloved un-official 5th child, Lori Greve). They loved to travel, which they did around the world. She was a founding member of the congregation that established the Berkeley Chinese Community Church in 1955 where she taught Sunday school and was an active member of the Mr. and Mrs. Club, and sang with the choir for decades. Elizabeth shared her love of music and dance (ballroom, tap and Polynesian dancing) with her family, friends and community. She performed well into her seventies, with the Berkeley Senior Center Dance Troupe as a lead dancer.

We, her children, Andrew (wife Helen), Bendrew, Christine, Daniel, and her grandchildren Corinne, Kristin, Anneke, Zoë, and Kalikiano, will continue to carry her strength, virtue, joy, and beauty in our hearts.

We invite you to The Celebration of Life Service to be held on Saturday, August 15 at 11:00 am at the Berkeley Chinese Community Church (2117 Acton Street Berkeley CA 94702). Casual attire (e.g. Aloha shirts in the spirit of her Polynesian and Hawaiian dancing) is requested.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Berkeley Chinese Community Church at http://bccc-ucc.org/. For family contact: benjong@mac.com