Joe F. Fong, 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on June 19, 2016. He was a hard-working, strong, and determined man loved by his daughter, son, and three grandchildren.
Joe came to this country from China at the age of 12 with a loaf of bread and $2. He first settled in the Mississippi Delta working at his family's grocery store, Sunlight Super. He was the only Chinese boy that graduated from his high school class. Despite this adversity, he went on to graduate from college.
Joe married the love of his life, Tina, and moved to San Francisco. He and Tina owned Golden Food Market in the San Francisco Mission District. It was one of the first retail stores that sold a variety of Central American, South American, Filipino, Asian, and American foods and had produce and a butcher shop. Joe also was one of the first importer-exporters of San Francisco and distributed food products to other major retailers. Throughout his life, he met several dignitaries including Diane Feinstein, Joe Alioto, and Quentin Kopp. He was loved and respected by his customers and made many good friends throughout the years.
He will always be loved for his enthusiasm for the Warriors, football, The Price is Right, and for being an amazing chef. Joe was a loving grandfather who shared his love for cooking with his grandchildren and always supported them with his never-ending strength. He will be sorely missed by his friends, family, and his two faithful dogs, Betsy and Toby.
The funeral service will take place on Sunday, June 26th at 11:00am at Duggan's Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Avenue, Daly City, CA. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Colma.