King San Chew of Alameda, CA, passed away peacefully on March 15, 2021 at the age of 93. He was a dearly loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend.

He is survived by his wife of over 70 years Helen Foo King Ma; his children Eleanor, Dwight, Elaine and Andrew; his grandchildren Takashi, Emy, Kaye, Cory and Charlene; and his great-grandchildren Liam, Kimi, Ryden and Mehdi. He was a devoted son and brother.

King was born in a Toisan village near Guangzhou, China, in 1927 to Charlie D. Chew and Sum Shue Chew. At the age of 10, he immigrated alone to the United States through the Angel Island Immigration Station before settling in Albuquerque, NM with his father and brother. After King served in the United States Army in Korea from 1946 to 1949, he married Helen and returned to Albuquerque to start his family and study engineering at the University of New Mexico. King and Helen worked in the restaurant business and, in 1969, they sought new opportunities in California and established roots in the Bay Area. King enjoyed a three decades career in the US Postal Service and his affiliations with the Veterans Foreign Wars and the Wong Family Association (both in Oakland). He and Helen enjoyed their retirement years traveling and devoting their time to their grandchildren.

The family would like to express sincere appreciation to the staff at Harbor Bay Assisted Living, Dr. Angela Chan and the staff at Kaiser Home Health and Hospice Units.

A memorial service was held on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at the Mountain View Cemetery Tower Chapel in Oakland, CA.

Due to COVID restrictions, the family asks that condolences and fond memories be shared by clicking the button below.

Tributes will be published on this site.

To me, he was my Gong Gong and, to him, I was his KK.

I count myself to be very lucky to have grown up two blocks from my grandparent’s house. Their house was home. I will always remember his evening snack of canned peaches with cottage cheese. I would sit next to him with my ten slices of neatly stacked Kraft cheese singles and we would watch Jeopardy. The towers of packs of playing cards, worn down from late night games of solitaire while watching movies until 3 AM every night. The tangerines that he grew on one of his properties that I looked forward to every winter. I would peel and stick the whole thing in my mouth, which probably grossed my family out, but I think it made him happy knowing how much I enjoyed them. How he would always proudly show me when he was wearing the tshirt that I painted for him when I was five. The last time he wore that tshirt was a couple of years ago when his health started to decline.

When I got married, he told me: “In your happy times, I will cry tears of joy with you. In your sad times, you will cry alone”--I know, harsh. My grandfather was not always the most emotionally sympathetic person. When you were hitting on hard times, we would shrug and give you the face that said: “Well you made your own bed, now you have to lie in it.”But then he would very quietly send you a little something to help you get through, and share his wisdom in a letter.

That’s how my Gong Gong showed his love. It didn’t need any frills. He would allow us the space to make our own mistakes and to learn and grow from them. But you always know that he was there for you.

Gong Gong, you always lamented how longevity ran in our family, but thank you for letting us live it with you. I miss you and I’ll tell your great grandson all about you.

-- Kaye Kikuchi

It’s hard to know where to start when I think about my Ya-Ya’s long life. He saw a lot of change over his years and lived through so many significant moments in history. He was a history buff at heart, always recounting events and sharing them in detail with anyone who would listen. He was so proud to share our family history and had a keen memory for dates. One of my oldest Thanksgiving memories was in second grade. Of course, Ya-Ya was there to eat, but I also wanted to interview him for my class heritage project. We sat on the couch at Aunt Glory’s and he proudly told me how he came to the US by boat, worked hard, and started a family that included me.

One of his favorite pastimes was writing letters to his rotating list of family and friends. Ya-Ya never missed a birthday card and was the first to ask for my new address every time I moved in college. Week after week I’d get his latest card about the weather, the Warriors, or whatever else was happening in the community. Somehow, he never had writer’s block! He would even use different colored pens for the important words in the sentence. I guess half of the words were really important because he had fun with the colors! I’m thankful for all the cards I’ve held onto. They are a reminder of where I come from and the support I’ve had all along.

This is what I will remember most about Ya-Ya: his love and loyalty to his family. His greatest joys were his family and a good meal, ideally both at the same time. I will always remember how his support has been wind in my sail, and I hope to make him proud by doing what he did for the next generation. Wǒ ài nǐ, yéyé! (I love you, Ya-Ya!) 我愛你，爺爺!

-- Charlene Chew

We gather here today to mourn the loss of someone who served many roles in our lives: father, grandfather, friend, advisor (sometimes unsolicited), and pillar of our family and community. Despite the pain that comes with his passing, I feel that we can draw comfort from our shared memories of his love and generosity.

As we carry his memory forward, the strength of his character will live on in the many lessons he shared with us all. Among these are to pursue and commit to one's goals, to take pride in oneself and one's accomplishments, and the importance of a good meal. Through these lessons we are given a piece of the foundation upon which we can build a better future, and the wisdom to enjoy the fruits of our labor with our loved ones.

I will also look fondly back on the cherished small moments that we shared. The ice cream sundaes, phone calls about the Warriors, and his recounting of world and familial history that echo through time. My Ya-Ya's stories often emphasized the importance of a family remaining united, and I am optimistic that all of us will be reunited soon.

-- Cory Chew

My first memory of our Uncle King was during a trip to Roswell in early 1960’s. Uncle King took all of us kids horseback riding and he got kicked by a horse (he didn’t get hurt) but we got a laugh out of it.

Uncle King was the driving force in our two wonderful family reunions in Las Vegas. We all had such a great time meeting relatives from all over and celebrating our family history. We exchanged so many communications for the reunions and over the years. I cherish and have kept Uncle King’s handwritten letters …all filled with historical information about our families, football/sports and his sage advice about family and everything. His letters were colorful…switching pen colors from black or blue to red within the letter. He prefaced many letters that he was too stubborn to learn email. His memory was impeccable…always pulling names, cities and dates out of his head at the drop of a hat. He has provided us with so much family history.

We will miss our Uncle King but he is always loved and cherished in our hearts and memories. I’m sure he and Uncle Jack are having a great reunion with all the other relatives.

-- Debbie Mar

Here are a few stories I would like to share about my Dad, King. He was a man who loved to chitchat, loved to eat, loved sports , and loved his family.

People would often say how beautiful my Mom’s complexion was. Then they would also say , “Wow, your Dad has really nice skin too." What is their secret? My Mom used a turtle oil face cream, which was difficult to get because turtles were getting scarce. Whenever my cousins, Melissa, Candace & Claudia went to Mexico, they would get turtle cream for Mom. My Mom often wondered why her turtle cream kept disappearing so quickly. We found out that my Dad was using her turtle cream daily on his face too.

When my Dad first moved to California in 1969, he failed the DMV written test because he did not study. Just before my Dad’s 90th birthday, the DMV sent him a notice that if he wanted to renew his driver’s license, he would need to take the written test. Of course, he no longer drove, but he insisted he wanted to take the test. I printed all the sample exams with the answers.

With his 30 years of postal experience, Dad memorized all the test answers. I think he got a 100 because his new license was good for another 5 years.

My Dad loved to eat. The family would often meet at Fenton’s which is an ice cream parlor close to here. My dad used to get a big breakfast special, but he also really wanted ice cream. Andrew & Dad decided Dad would eat half a club sandwich, enjoy a vanilla soda, and then take the rest of the sandwich for a later snack. FYI, Fenton’s soda has 3 scoops of ice cream.

Even though He is gone, my Dad will always be with us everywhere - at the family meals, watching sports or just sitting on the couch with my Mom , holding her hand. We Miss you & Love you always, Dad.

-- Elaine Chew

We will miss you. May your soul rest in peace.

-- Takashi Kikuchi

Grandpa was sweet and kind; I am lucky to be one of this big family. You reminded young people to work hard, not give up easily but find the life balance. I liked listening to you talking about yourself and the family; there are a lot of history through you. I felt it was so real and loved to listen again and again. My kid doesn’t have grandpas since she was born, but she enjoyed the love great grandpa gave to her. We miss the hugs from you, and miss the laughter from you. Our grandpa and great grandpa is a wonderful guy. I wish I could hug you one more time. But I know you will always be with us.

-- Sophie Chien Kikuchi

I met you only once in my sister’s wedding 10 years ago, but I have a good memory of you as a very nice and elegant gentleman. You have been supportive to family members, and I feel lucky for my sister. You as the person everyone loves are never gone... You live within everyone’s heart.

-- Lucia Chien

I miss my father so very much and it pains me to not having said "goodbye" to him. My father King gave me strength and solid footing to stand on my own. He supported my independence. It was a tug-of-war between him and mom. My mom feared for my wild ways and would say, "You're just like your father." My father let me make my own choices but always reminded me that there were consequences to those choices. He would sing, "Que Sera Sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera. What will be, will be..." Both parents and my siblings were always there for me and my children with open arms, especially when my first husband passed away. The road was rocky. The success of myself and my children are the result of my family's love and support. I love you, Dad. See you later.

-- Eleanor Chew