San Francisco Native with Aloha Spirit
October 11, 2020
by Donna Fung
Steven Richard Fung was born to Frederick P. and Elsie F. Fung on July 10, 1952 in San Francisco, CA. Raised in the City, Steve attended Roosevelt Jr. High School and George Washington High School. He made friends easily, was quite popular, and enjoyed a wide variety of activities. Early on, Steve also exhibited a love of the great outdoors. Kayaking, hiking, mountain bike riding, and body surfing were some his favorite recreational pastimes. Steve was just as comfortable in crowds as he was alone with nature. Each experience was "go with the flow" for him.
Hawaii became a second home for Steve, especially in the early 1970s, when he worked as a chef at the La Ronde Revolving Restaurant in the Ala Moana Building. He loved cooking and fine cuisine. In that way, Steven took after after his father Fred, who was manager of Trader Vic's in Oakland/Emeryville, CA. for many years. After moving to Redding California, Steven still traveled to San Francisco to visit his parents and to Hawaii.
Life was good, and then Steven faced one of the biggest challenges of his life when, in 1994, he developed cardiomyopathy, resulting in a heart transplant. He always felt grateful for that precious gift of a donor heart that allowed him to live his life to the fullest. Many years later, Steven received a second catastrophic diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. The PD was ultimately reassessed instead to being a very rare and progressive form of movement disorder. Steven died from this condition on October 9, 2020.
He is survived by his mother Elsie, sister Donna, daughter Anna, nephew David Pansullo, and many family members and friends.
Hawaii became a second home for Steve, especially in the early 1970s, when he worked as a chef at the La Ronde Revolving Restaurant in the Ala Moana Building. He loved cooking and fine cuisine. In that way, Steven took after after his father Fred, who was manager of Trader Vic's in Oakland/Emeryville, CA. for many years. After moving to Redding California, Steven still traveled to San Francisco to visit his parents and to Hawaii.
Life was good, and then Steven faced one of the biggest challenges of his life when, in 1994, he developed cardiomyopathy, resulting in a heart transplant. He always felt grateful for that precious gift of a donor heart that allowed him to live his life to the fullest. Many years later, Steven received a second catastrophic diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. The PD was ultimately reassessed instead to being a very rare and progressive form of movement disorder. Steven died from this condition on October 9, 2020.
He is survived by his mother Elsie, sister Donna, daughter Anna, nephew David Pansullo, and many family members and friends.