A nearly lifelong resident of San Francisco’s Chinatown, Zeppelin Wong was a successful attorney who spent his life giving back to the community that reared him. Named for the German airship that passed over San Francisco just before his birth, Wong became a world traveler, says his sister Shirley Wong-Frentzel, although he was always rooted in his birthplace: “He never really felt like he [had to] leave the Bay Area, because he could go back to Chinatown” and work on behalf of the community, she says.
Zeppelin Wai Wong, ’51, died March 25 in San Francisco. He was 87.
Soon after receiving his law degree from UC-Hastings in 1954, Wong was drafted into the U.S. Army. While stationed in Europe, he continued to study international corporate law. His sister describes those years as an eye-opening time that fueled his love of classical music and sparked the rest of the family’s curiosity about Europe.
Upon his return, Wong embarked on his legal career, which gained distinction a few years later when a law school classmate from Europe by the name of Ted Kennedy floated the idea of Wong’s filling the vice presidential slot in his brother John’s campaign. Though Wong didn’t receive the nod, President Kennedy soon appointed Cecil Poole as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. Poole tapped Wong to join him, making him the first Chinese-American lawyer to work in the office.
As Wong rose to prominence in San Francisco, he remained connected to Chinatown, working for his family’s foundation and offering legal advice to neighbors. He also taught English as a Second Language courses and served on the boards of directors of both San Francisco State University and the California Institute of Integral Studies, chairing the latter.
Wong’s sister most fondly remembers his love of traditional Chinese cooking. “He really knew how to put ingredients together in the old-fashioned way,” says Wong-Frentzel. “Trout with fried ginger, bitter melon with beef, Chinese custard with preserved duck eggs—he knew how to make them all.”
It was his love of music that left the biggest impression, however. “He didn’t really want to be a lawyer,” she says. “He wanted to be a musician. My father said, ‘Absolutely not.’” Wong nonetheless managed to obtain a violin, playing regularly at Stanford and again in retirement, and his passion inspired two of his sisters to become concert pianists. “He brought us out of our sheltered lives, I guess you might say. He was in a much larger sphere than the rest of the family.”
Wong was predeceased by his brother, Victor. He is survived by his wife, Jean; his son, Matthew Tamaki, and stepdaughter, Debbie Cullip; three grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and three sisters.
Mike Vangel is a writer in Minnesota.
