In Memory of Robert Yee Ho (1926-2024)
Robert Ho (Bob) was born in Guang Dong, China in 1926 and immigrated to America at the age of 12 by himself while his parents stayed behind in China. He lived and grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown with his grandfather and cousins who were already here. He attended elementary and high school in Chinatown.
After serving in the Navy, the GI bill of 1944 made it possible for Bob to attend college and he graduated with a degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1953. During that time Bob also met and married May Wong. They had their first son there and, over the next 8 years, had 2 more sons and a daughter.
After graduation Bob started out as an engineer with the Navy Department in San Francisco as a civilian. He had a 32 year career with them and worked at naval shipyards and offices located in Pearl Harbor HI, Hunters Point CA, Washington DC, and Alameda CA. When Bob transferred to Alameda in 1980, he and May moved to Fremont. In the early 1980’s, Bob managed to bring his father to the US from China and supported him until he passed. And in the late 1980s, the grandchildren arrived and Bob and May and helped raise the grandchildren until they entered middle school.
Wherever Bob and May lived, they joined the local Chinese group (Foster City Chinese Club, Washington DC Couples Club, and South Bay Chinese Club) to meet other Chinese people in the area and make new friends. Bob and May loved to dance, especially the Cha-Cha and Foxtrot, and the Chinese clubs were where they got to dance and do their thing. Bob was also president of SBCC from 1989-1990 and 1995-1997. In addition to the Chinese clubs, Bob was active in the Boy Scouts with his sons in Hawaii and Foster City, and volunteered at the Chinese New Commerce organization in Oakland where he helped new immigrants with filling out forms and tax preparation.
Bob also loved to fish! If there was water, Bob would check it out for fish and fishing. He fished on the West and East coasts, bays, oceans, lakes, and 2 Alaskan trips! He fished with May, his sons, and numerous friends.
In 2007, May had a major stroke and Bob became her 24/7 caregiver. It was a difficult and hard time, but Bob silently soldiered thru it as he always did thru tough times. He promised May that he’d always take care of her and he did that up until her passing 7 years later.
In 2015 Bob took his last big trip to China. He visited relatives in Hong Kong and Guang Zhou, and went back to his village to pay respects at his father’s grave. In Guang Zhou there were many new nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews, to meet, and the city had changed quite a bit from his last visit years before.
In 2016 Bob had a stroke, recovered well and was still mobile and active. In 2018 he had another stroke but recovery was harder and longer. He could walk with a walker and was able to play ping pong from his wheel chair. And he was still able to enjoy day trips and a lot of gourmet Chinese foods at restaurants and home.
At the very end of 2023, Bob caught Covid-19 but unfortunately did not recover to his former state. This was the start of his gradual decline to his passing on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at the age of 98.
Bob started out here in America with not much. But he succeeded in getting a college degree, having a working career with the Navy, and raising a family of four with his wife, May, and grandchildren. He traveled and saw many places: Hawaii, the East and West Coasts of the US, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. He saw his family grow, mature, and become adults. Robert lived a long and full life - he lived the American Dream.