Christa Yong Hee Ly loved angels and perhaps that was because it seemed she had one watching over her. Her story started when she was born in Seoul, South Korea, but due to reasons she would never know, she was put in the care of a baby home and then a girl's Christian home. Like many children she longed for a home and family of her own, but during that time she formed many warm and loving friendships with the girls in her Christian home.

She grew anxious as her 14th birthday grew near because she knew that she would no longer be eligible to live in the home. That was when she learned that a family in Lansing, Michigan wanted to adopt her. Christa's life was filled with many changes that included learning English, the joy of becoming an American citizen, as well as graduating from Potterville High School in 1983, family trips and gatherings that included her mother, father, younger brother and sister, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

A new chapter in Christa's story opened when she and Binh (Ping) Ly married in 1987 and they moved to Farmington, Michigan where Binh was the head cook in a restaurant and Christa worked in retail at the Mall. They felt blessed with the birth of their daughter, Diana, in 1989 and moved back to Lansing to be close to family. They eventually opened their own restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and had great success. They ended their business and eventually divorced. After leaving Mt. Pleasant, Christa worked at House of Hsu Restaurant where she always thought of her customers as friends and enjoyed them as much as they enjoyed her until 2018 when she had to quit due to her advanced breast cancer.

Christa never judged people and always appreciated their kindness. In doing so she brought them joy and value. She will be missed by: her daughter, Diana Ly of Lansing, Michigan; parents, Ruth and Jim Thomas of Lansing, Michigan; brother, Jim Thomas and sister-in-law, Catha
Thomas of Howell, Michigan; sister, Dara Thompson and brother-in-law, Brian Thompson of Montgomery, Alabama; niece, Katie Thompson of Montgomery, Alabama; nephew, Travis Thompson of Pensacola, Florida; and a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to It's a Breast Thing, P.O. Box 743, East Lansing, MI 48826, 517-980-0357, https://itsabreastthing.org/index.php. More information can be found here: https://itsabreastthing.org/index.php/donate .

There will be no services at this time for Ms. Ly.