Ping Tom (April 15, 1935 – July 7, 1995) (Chinese: 譚繼平; pinyin: TānJìpíng) was a Chinese Americanbusinessman and civic leader in Chicago.

Biography
Early life
Mr. Tom was the youngest of eight children. His mother, Lillian Goo, married Tom Y. Chan after her sister, Mary Goo, Tom Y. Chan's first wife, died from influenza. Mary Goo had two children: Florence and Grace. Lillian had six children: Priscilla, Helene, Eunice, Mary, Tom (Chung) and Ping.

Marriage and children
Ping and Valerie
Ping Tom married Valerie Ching (born September 15, 1934) of Honolulu, Hawaii on October 11, 1958. They met in Chicago while Mr. Tom was attending law school at Northwestern and Valerie attended the Gregg Court Reporting School, which was then associated with Northwestern. They had two children:
Darryl Tom (born March 13, 1970)
Curtis Tom (born August 13, 1972)

Education
Mr. Tom attended Haines School in Chinatown. He then won a high-school scholarship to Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. Mr. Tom won the Parker scholarship over his best friend, Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., who went on to become the first African-Americanastronaut. Mr. Tom graduated from Parker in 1952. Both of his sons, Darryl (Class of 1988) and Curtis (Class of 1990), as well as Trace Lawrence (Class of 1977), Mr. Lawrence's son, also attended Francis W. Parker School.

In an article Mr. Tom wrote for the ParkerWeekly in 1988, he stated that his experience at Parker shaped and influenced his life in two ways. First, Parker's atmosphere of encouragement helped him build self-confidence. Second, Parker's diversity taught him to develop "mutual respect and caring for those of a different race, ethnicity and religion." In fact, he noted that he had not known a Jewish person until he attended Parker.

Mr. Tom then attended Northwestern University where he entered a special six-year dual degree program to obtain a bachelor's degree concurrently with a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law, receiving his B.A. in Economics in 1956 and his J.D. in 1958.

Family Businesses
Chinese Trading Co. & Chinese Noodle Co. new building opening on July 12, 1965
Chinese Trading Company (est. 1911): food import company
-Vice president, 1966–72; President, 1972-1995

Chinese Noodle Company (est. 1911): maker of egg noodles and won ton and egg roll skins
-Vice president, 1958-1966; President, 1972-1995

Lekel Chop Suey Pail Company: maker of take out food pails
-President, 1980-1995

Mah Chena Corporation: frozen food and appetizers
-President, 1980-1995