Sonney L. Chong, DDS
By Alex Eng
Sonney’s sudden recent passing on December 23 sent shock waves throughout the Sacramento Community. Many of us are still in a state of disbelief; a Friend of the Community is gone. One of Sonney‘s noted accomplishments was to be the Chair and one of the founders of CAPITAL (Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Advocacy and Leadership) since its inception in 1997. At its zenith of over 91 member organizations, CAPITAL is still one of few successful umbrella organizations comprised of many different ethnic and social based groups. Sonney was instrumental in keeping it together all these years. He was a familiar face, who attended countless events; his way of supporting many organizations and networking throughout his four decades of community service. He embodied the voice of the API through his actions and involvement not only with Asian Pacific Islander groups such as Asian Resources, Inc., CACS, Florin and Sacramento JACLs, OCA Sacramento, My Sisters House, Iu Mien Family Assn., Asian Community Service Center, etc., Sonney established ties with the LGBTQ, Council of Arab Islamic Relations, Jewish Community Relations Council, Filipino and Hmong, and Korean nonprofits advocating against social injustice issues.
Sonney was no stranger to local city and county officials. Illa Collins, Roger Dickenson, Jimmie Yee, and Patrick Kennedy were regular attendees at the CAPITAL meetings. He was appointed to the California State Fair Board for a number of years; was active on the California State University Alumni Association, and was a long time member of the Asian Dentists Association of Sacramento.
Sonney’s family is planning a private family service. A Celebration of Life will be held for Sonney later this year; several friends and community leaders will be planning this. Feel free to send me your thoughts… Kudos to a poor kid from San Francisco Chinatown’s housing development. He served his country during the Vietnam War, established a successful dental practice and became an outstanding community leader.
As BT Collins once said, “Is the world a better place for your having been here?”
Sonney L Chong, you’ve definitely made a difference.
Thank you, Sonney for all that you’ve given us. We are very proud to have known you.
A Celebration of Life for Sonney Chong will be held Saturday, April 12, 2025, from noon to 3pm at Cal Expo, Buildings C&D. Download flyer.