Kwok Kue Ko

Gary was born on July 31, 1944 to Wai Ching Woo and Ming Fan Ko in Canton, China, the fourth of ten children. He first arrived to the United States from Australia, where he graduated from a boarding high school, disembarking at the Ferry Building pier in San Francisco, California, in 1963. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in electrical engineering in 1967. He would marry his wife of 48 years in 1972. After working for RCA and Hewlett-Packard, he returned to Hong Kong in 1973 to help his father run the family business, a quarry that became a ceramic tile factory. He would go on to have a daughter and then a son, then he would return with his family to the United States permanently in 1994, eventually moving to Auburn, California in 2000, where he lived for the last 20 years. He faced life like he faced his last days, unflinchingly. He always let his personal integrity guide his choices in life, even when it was not the easy way forward. He had no regrets. Gary’s greatest joy was always his family. He was a man that freely showed his affection with hugs, words and most importantly, his time. He loved to tinker. If something was broken, he would try to fix it, be it a computer, lamp, watch or chair. Overall, he liked to do what his wife did, and since she liked to travel and play golf, so did he. He did a lot of fishing trips with his son. He visited his daughter in San Francisco frequently to play with his two grandchildren. He was there for both their births and frequently babysat them. He would often be in between house projects, while trying to keep up with his wife’s tireless energy. He cared deeply for his sisters, Sophia, Dorothy and Rita. He was very grateful he was able to make one last trip to Hong Kong and Thailand, so he could catch up with his beloved friends of old.

The sun was shining the morning he passed and it stormed tears that very night for him. His family lost a bit of their hearts that day, but they know he is at peace and he lives a bit in all of those that were lucky to know and love him.

Gary is survived by his wife of 48 years, Boonchuen Ko (born Saengsukwirasathien); daughter, Charlene and her husband David of San Francisco, California; son, Dan Ko and his wife Shirley of San Diego, California. He adored his role of spoiling grandpa to Grant and Chloe.