Lily Lum

Mrs. Lily Firmalo Lum Retired Educator, Restaurateur and Antique Dealer of Visalia passed away Friday February 26 2010 in Visalia at the age of 82. Mrs. Lum was born in Lockeford, CA on July 24, 1927, the daughter of John and Alice Firmalo. She grew up in the LaVina District of Madera County and graduated form the Madera Union High Scholl Class of 1945. During that period, she was a member of the International Order of Rainbow Girls, the American Legion Junior Auxiliary, 4-H Club and the Campfire Girls. During her high school years, she was the past President of Girls League, Pan American Society, California Scholarship Society and a member of the National Thespian Dramatic Honor Society for local high schools. Her high school years were highlighted by being invited to be the luncheon partner in Fresno to Colonel Carlos P. Romulos, Secretary of Information and Public Relations of the Philippines Common Wealth and the Author of "I Saw The Fall of the Philippines". She later became the President of the United Nations. The start of World War II ushered in two unhappy episodes in the life of her family. The death of the father and interment of her family in a relocation center because her mother, although an American born citizen was of Japanese descent. Her father was of Filipino and Castilian Spanish descent. He was a proud American Legionnaire and a dedicated Mason. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy who served in WWI. The Madera American Legion Commander and members, his Masonic Brethren and local business men took only three months to secure the family's return to their Madera home. She attended the University of California at Berkeley. Among her fondest memories of CAL was as a member of the University Chorus that was joined by the Choruses of Stanford and San Francisco State Symphony at the San Francisco Opera House. Pierre Monteux the legendary and renowned conductor led the combined group. Another fond memory was being selected as one of the four students from CAL, UCLA, USC and San Francisco State as California Asian American delegates to the World Methodist Youth Conferences in Cleveland, Ohio. During the summers of her college years, she worked for the San Francisco Urban League, The Phoenix Assurance Co. and as a Social Secretary to a San Francisco Socialite to help with her college expenses. She received a California Teaching Credential from Fresno State College and was the first Asian-American Teacher employed by the Madera City School District. She became a member of the same school faculty as her own first grade and third grade teachers who became her mentors and good friends. She married Hubert Lum on June 22, 1952 at the Church of the Wayfarers in Carmel, CA. During those years, she was an active member of the Madera Crippled Children's Society, the American Association of University Women's, The First Presbyterian Church Choir and the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. The Lum's relocated to Fresno where she taught for the Fresno Unified School District and became a charter member of the Eta Tau Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international society of key women educators. While living in Fresno, they were owners of the Dollar Save Market, Fresno Institutional Groceries and the Frontier Market in Pinedale. They moved to Visalia in 1972. They were former owners of the Hong Kong/Lum Lums Restaurants and the Double LL Steakhouse and Saloon. In 1999 they received the Life Time Achievement Award from the California Chapter of the Central California Restaurant Association. In the 1980's, after collecting antiques for several years, they became owners of "Lillums Antiques" that was located in Cayucos, CA. Following retiring as a restaurateur in 2000, they enjoyed travels to Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Eastern Canada and throughout the United States. Most of all, their four trips to the New England States and a cruise of the Coast and harbors of Maine were their favorite Destinations. Her earlier travels took her to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Scotland, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. She was a member of the California Retired Teachers Association and held a California Lifetime Teachers Credential, a Life Member of the U.C. Berkeley Alumni Association, a Life Member of the Kaweah Delta Hospital Guild, a Charter Member of the Fresno Unified School District Retirees Association, a Charter Member of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and the Tulare County Eta Leta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. She is survived by husband of 57 years Hubert Lum; beloved children, Christopher Lum of Visalia; Kimberly Lum Reina of Nevada City; Laura Lum of San Francisco; and her adored granddaughters, Jessica and Casey Lum of Visalia. She is also survived by sisters, Dorothy Tigson of Fresno; Alice UnaDia (Tony) of Santa Clara; Gloria Harvey (Vernon) of Valparaiso, Indiana; sister in-law Mary Ann Firmalo of Bass Lake; brothers, Jim Firmalo (Judy) of Fresno; Richard Firmalo (Doris) of Las Vegas, Nevada; a dear nephew, Rick and grandniece Victoria Firmalo of Visalia; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in dearth by her parents, infant brother Edward and brother, John Firmalo. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 6, 2010, at Salser and Dillard Funeral Chapel. A private interment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Scholarship Fund, Eta Leta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, C/O Mrs. Betty Yates, Treasurer 1267 N. Lime Porterville, CA 93257.or the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association Suite C. Gainesville, FL 32608 (Lily suffered from Trigeminal Neuralgia since 1989 and was a patient of the Cedar Sinai Hospital Pain Management in Los Angeles since 1990.)