Tom C. Lum

Tom C Lum, 91, Bonita, CA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 8, 2023. He was born in Los Angeles, CA on July 21, 1931, the fourth of Wo Lum and Hom Shi Lum's seven children. He went to Ninth Street Elementary, Lafayette Jr. High, Manual Arts Senior High School and Los Angeles City College. He also attended The Church of All Nations during his childhood with his younger siblings. He joined the Army National Guard after high school and was trained as a radio repairman at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He served in the Army as a radio relay team lead during the Korean War after being stationed in Japan. From 1952 to 1957, he worked at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation and achieved the position of Master Layout Man. He then began a long 33-year career at Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne, CA where he was a draftsman and later a numeric design engineer. He married Eva Kim in 1958 and together they raised their son Michael and daughter Linda. While working during the day at Northrop, Tom also worked hard in the evenings and weekends to contribute to the success of their Casa Magui variety store and Restaurant Yucatan. In his spare time, he insisted on being the handyman and gardener for the apartment complex and houses they owned. His hobbies included woodworking, listening to Big Band music, cooking, baking, eating Chinese, Korean and Mexican food, watching WWE wrestling shows and spending time with family. He also enjoyed traveling to Mexico, Asia, Europe, Hawaii and Las Vegas with his family.

Tom was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather who was known for his sense of humor, humility, resourcefulness, frugality, ability to build or fix practically everything, cooking and enjoying family. As a jack of all trades, he even was a perfectionist when it came to masonry work, arc welding and landscape design.

He is survived by his wife Eva, his children Michael Lum (Gilda) and Linda Fong (Everett), his grandsons Russell Fong and Curtis Fong and his sisters Lilly Ong (William,dec.), and Betty Lum. Predeceased in death by sister Margaret Lee (Jimmie), brother James Lum (Jenny, dec.), sister Jane Tang (Sam, dec.), and sister Millie Ung (Clinton, dec.), he still lives on in our hearts and in all those whose lives he touched.

Funeral Services for Tom C. Lum are private, please reach out to the Lum family if wish you to offer condolences.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.glenabbeysandiego.net for the Lum family.