Lawrence “Larry” Chee Hong Hoo was born May 20, 1951 in Canton, China. At the age of one, he and his parents moved to Hong Kong. Shortly after when they needed to care for his grandmother, his family moved back to China to Loong Do village. While Larry was still a child, his father had to escape to Hong Kong due to the rise of communism in China. Larry and his mother lived apart from his father for eight years before being reunited back in Hong Kong. No matter where they lived, Larry learned from a young age that family needed to take the time to take care of one another.
In 1971, Larry and his mother, father, grandmother, and two younger brothers Bryan and Howard immigrated to Hawaii. Shortly after, the family relocated to San Jose, California, but Larry chose to stay behind and build a life in Hawaii. There he met his wife, Elisa and started his own family. In 1990 they moved to the Seattle area where they all continue to live.
Larry worked in the food service industry for much of his career. After over a decade of owning and operating restaurants specializing in Chinese and Hawaiian foods, he moved on from the restaurant business. He later became manager of food services at Seattle Central Community College, working there until he retired in 2016. His experience as a chef gave his family and friends the opportunity to enjoy his great meals, and he valued the importance of eating at the table everyday as a family.
Larry grew up loving soccer and practicing martial arts. He enjoyed his life in Hawaii where he was able to spend time outdoors deep sea fishing, bird hunting, and playing soccer. In his later years he continued to enjoy life spending time traveling with his wife and friends and playing with his grandchildren.
Always a hard worker, he worked tirelessly providing for his family and fixing things around the house. Also known for being kind hearted, he was always generous with his time and efforts to help others where he could.
Larry passed away on January 17, 2019 at age 67, surrounded by his family. He will be lovingly remembered and very much missed by his wife Elisa, children Michelle (Richard) Nguyen, Laureen (Bryant) Ng, Benjamin (Jillian) Hoo and grandchildren, Ruby (5), Nathan (4), Jacob (4) and Matthew (2).
To our Dad, Grandfather, Husband, Brother, Uncle and Friend — Aloha 'Oe (until we meet again).
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