2023, Chin texted me this photo of the beautiful lilies she had grown. She loved to share progress she was making with her yard and different flower beds she was planting. Chin had a real knack for flowers!

I went to visit Chin after she'd just moved into her house. It had been a long time since we'd had a chance to catch up. This photo was taken in the summer of 2017. Once we got sat down at the table with green tea lattes Chin had made, we began laughing, sharing memories and updates on our lives just like old times. Friends mean everything in this life. I was truly blessed to have a wonderful friend like Chin for the time I knew her.

I was fortunate to meet Chin in January 2012, and so proud to call her my friend ever since. I am still in shock and processing the fact she is gone. I have so many more conversations I wish we could have had and laughs and memories to share that now will never be.

Chin radiated joy, she always had a bright smile for everyone, and anyone who met her could not help but smile around her she had such a positive energy. I have never met anyone with a stronger work ethic, Chin was constantly busy at her job or with friends or on some task or errand. She'd always say, "C'mon, c'mon, lets take a walk!", even on a cold, blustery day. I remember going to Japanese taiko drumming and Native American powwows and lunches at the local Greek restaurant; bus rides to Seattle to Uwajimaya just for fun and canoeing on Lake Ballinger, a group of us friends. 

Chin was inspirational. She came to America not knowing a word of English. She put herself through school and learned her third language, English, on top of her native Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese. Chin got a job and worked tirelessly, never complaining on long, busy days, and she climbed the ladder. She was joyous after learning to  drive and buying her first car. Chin was also incredibly proud of her house and garden, she loved to pick flowers she had grown and make professional quality flower arrangements. Chin valued ger friends and coworkers, and loved her dogs, but above all else her family mattered more than anything to Chin.

Truly Chin was a remarkable lady. I will always miss my friend Chin and I only wish we'd had a little more time. My deepest condolences to her family and many friends and colleagues. Chin's loss is surely felt by all those who met and knew her. May her memory bring comfort to all who miss her. She now rests in peace in a beautiful place with her parents  and siblings, who she missed terribly. Her time on this Earth was too short, but she touched the lives of many and she will not be forgotten.

I was fortunate enough to meet Chin many years ago in Pennsylvania. Throughout the years, she never missed a chance to call me once or twice a year to chat. I will never forget the kindness she exuded toward everyone around her, even with just that one encounter. ❤️ I will miss our conversations, and the realization that I made an impression on her just as she made an impression on me. With age, I've come to cherish the connections we make with people, regardless of how long we've known them or how much time we spend with them.

OBITUARY

Hsiu-Chin Kao

October 18, 1963 – July 16, 2025

Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills Funeral Home & Cemetery

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services