Obituary of Doris Marie Lim

Doris Marie Lim, 86, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2025, in Santa Cruz, California, with her son, Alan and his family by her side. Doris was born in China to Bill Wong and Sue Yuen Yee on February 19, 1939. She, along with her older brother and mother, emigrated to the United States in 1947, to join Bill Wong who had served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Two years later, they settled in Santa Cruz, where she graduated from Santa Cruz High. She met Tom Lim in 1958, married in 1959, and had two children, Judy and Alan. In her teen years, she worked in the family laundry business; after high school, she worked as a book keeper for various local Santa Cruz businesses until the mid-80s, when computers took over. During her retirement years, she enjoyed gardening, long walks, visiting family and friends, playing with her neighbors’ pets, raising rabbits and birds (specifically cockatiels and parakeets) and being a grandmother. She is pre-deceased by her husband, Tom Lim, who passed away in 2012. She is survived by her two children, Judy Dropping (husband, Barry Dropping) and Alan Lim (wife, Kathy Lim), 4 grandchildren (Lauren Dropping, David Dropping, Andrew Lim and Matthew Lim), Tom’s six younger siblings (Steve Tam, Robert Lim, Ben Lim, Victor Tam, Hui Mei and June Cullen), as well as by her older brother (Check Yee), eight younger siblings (Bernice Brubeck-Wong, Clifford Wong, Frances Wong, Josephine Wong Blanton, Christopher Wong, Patricia Farr, Richard Wong and Randy Wong), 36 nieces and nephews, and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews. Funeral services will be held at Santa Cruz Memorial – Oakwood Chapel, in Santa Cruz, California on Wednesday, June 4th. Visitation begins at 11am, funeral service at 12:30pm, followed by graveside burial service. Reception details to be shared at the funeral.