Cheryl Chow

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Cheryl Chow
Cheryl Chow, 1992
Born
Cheryl Mayre Chow

(1946-05-24)May 24, 1946
DiedMarch 29, 2013(2013-03-29) (aged 66)
Nationality United States
Other namesCheryl Mayre Chow
EducationWestern Washington University (BA)
OccupationEducator
Politician
SpouseSarah Morningstar (m. March 16, 2013)
Children1
Liliana Morningstar-Chow
Parents
  • Edward Shui "Ping" Chow (father)
  • Ruby Chow (mother)

Cheryl Chow (May 24, 1946 – March 29, 2013) was an American educator and politician.

Early life[edit]

Chow was born in Seattle, Washington on May 24, 1946. Chow's father was Edward Shui "Ping" Chow (November 5, 1916 - June 29, 2011), who received U.S. Citizenship after he was discharged from United States Army. Chow's mother was Ruby Chow, who served as a King County Councilwoman, the first Asian American elected to that council.

Chow's maternal grandparents were Chinese immigrants who had come to the United States to work on the railroad lines.[1]

Chow's parents were also restaurant owners of the famous Ruby Chow's restaurant, where Bruce Lee once worked.[2]

Chow graduated from Franklin High School and then attended Western Washington University.

Career[edit]

Chow was a teacher at Hamilton International Middle School, a public school in the Seattle School District. Chow was a principal of Sharples Junior High School (now Aki Kurose Middle School Academy).[3]

Besides being a teacher and principal, Chow also coached girls' basketball for the city parks and recreation department.

From 1990–97, she served on the Seattle City Council. Chow also served on the Seattle School Board and was president of the school board.[4]

After 1997, Chow was a principal of her alma mater Franklin High School and of Garfield High School.[3]

In 2005, Chow was elected to the Seattle School Board during a time where the district saw increasing school closures and instability.[3]

Personal[edit]

Cheryl Chow, September 2012, about 6 months before her death

Chow came out as lesbian in August 2012. On March 16, 2013, less than two weeks before her death, Chow married her partner, Sarah Morningstar. Together, they have a daughter, Liliana Morningstar-Chow.[3]

Death[edit]

Cheryl Chow died of central nervous system lymphoma, aged 66, in Seattle, Washington and was survived by her wife, Sarah Morningstar, and several brothers and half-brothers.[5][6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Valdes, Manuel (June 8, 2008). "Ruby Chow, Seattle's Chinese-American matriarch, dies". The Spokesman Review. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "Legacy.com Edward Shui "Ping" Chow". Legacy.com. Retrieved Nov 23, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d "Cheryl Chow, educator and former city council member, passes away at 66". Northwest Asian Weekly. April 5, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  4. ^ Alison Morrow (2013-03-29). "Obituary". Nwcn.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  5. ^ Cheryl Mayre Chow obituary, Seattle Times via legacy.com; accessed October 19, 2014.
  6. ^ Obituary Archived 2014-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, washelli.com; accessed October 19, 2014.