Upcoming Services

Vyolet Chu

Celebration of Life

August 9, 2024 at 11:00am

Vyolet Chu, at 101 years old, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children, Dorinne Low and Alan Chu. She is predeceased by her loving husband, Daniel and her 2nd daughter, Liane. She was the last of her family of 9 children to leave this life.
Vyolet is survived by her daughter, Dorinne Low, son, Alan Chu; grandsons, Christian Low, Ryan Low (Panner), Todd Low, Kumar Corcoran; great grandchildren, Santino Low, Nina Low, Simone Low; and many nieces and nephews.
Vyolet was a pillar of the Chinese community having been a founding member and past president of the Chinese Historical Society of America. She served as an officer for the Chinese Cultural Center and was appointed by Dianne Feinstein and served as Asian Art Commissioner for the City of San Francisco for 12 years.
Vyolet and Daniel came to San Francisco from Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1954 with their two daughters, Dorinne and Liane. In 1957, their son Alan was born. Vyolet worked for Singer Sewing Company and after some years, took a position with Trader Vic's as buyer for all of the restaurant's gift shops.
She opened her own wig and cosmetics store aptly name Ultra Vyolet's in the 1960's. She furnished hair pieces to cancer patients and made such an impact for so many cancer patients that she received an award from the American Cancer Society.
At the age of 45, she went back to school to earn her bachelor's degree and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of San Francisco. She never slowed down with her fundraising efforts for worthy projects into her 80's and even then, was mentoring her juniors. Even after retirement, Vyolet continued to give her time toward community fund raising.
One of her fund-raising efforts was for building a school computer lab in Xishuangbana in Yunnan Province, China, for the indigent teenage girls in the region.
Not one to let moss gather, Vyolet and Daniel traveled extensively. Their trips took them to China, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, Egypt, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and of course Hawaii. One of the last things she said she wanted to do was to go back to Honolulu in June 2024 to see the King Kamehameha Day Parade "one last time" as she put it, as traveling was getting to be just too difficult for her.
Vyolet is dearly missed by her family and friends, all whose lives she touched. We send her our love and aloha.
A celebration of Vyolet’s life will be held on August 9, 2024, 11am-2pm, at Fernwood Cemetery, 301 Tennessee Valley Road, Mill Valley, Ca.

There will be a Zoom recording starting at 11am,
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2526248888?pwd=rrOR7z2wQikGmhwaWGZbHPkVW9z5q5.1&omn=83215295288
Passcode: 315315

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Vyolet Chu’s name to your favorite charity or to The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco or The American Cancer Society.