Remembering KO Ying (29.10.1929 – 26.1.2026)
Our Very Dear Patricia, Brenda and Raymond; Friends, Fellow Christians, Rotarians and Freemasons; Ladies and Gentlemen,
I deem it my distinct honour and privilege to have been asked by the KO family to say a few words on this very special occasion. It is special because we are here today not only to mark the passage of a great mind in a dear friend, but also to celebrate the life and achievements of a hardworking, wise, sincere and honest man who had placed his trust in God, lived by His divine precepts, and loved his fellowmen as he had loved God.
From time immemorial, friends, particularly in the Rotary and Freemasonry communities, have always addressed him as 高老爺 loosely translated in English as Master KO or Sir KO. Whoever first coined the name must be a genius, for the title, on the one hand, aptly summarizes the qualities of this perfect gentleman, including his wisdom, compassion, tolerance, industriousness and assiduity, amongst others; and on the other, reflects the high esteem his friends had for him, notably their respect, affection, admiration and devotion.
I cast my mind back for over four decades and could vividly recall a snapshot when the late Dr Raymond Wong introduced him to me as someone very senior in Rotary and who was his District Secretary in Rotary International District 3450 around the mid-1980s. He was certainly a very dedicated Rotarian and had taken pride in having kept a 100% attendance record for club meetings since he had become a member. He was always impeccably dressed and would not accept any nonsense from anyone. The next snapshot I could recall was a meeting at his home in the Mid-levels when I took two of my HKU mentees to his home for dinner, around 2005. I was then living alone. We had a good time; and I was ever grateful for his hospitality and for his thoughtfulness and mindfulness that I didn’t have a home as such at the time.
Fast forward a bit, in 2009, Su and I got married; and probably from Su, an idea came up to ask the cameraman who had documented our wedding, to make a video and photo albums to mark his 80th birthday and more importantly the 50th wedding anniversary between him and his very beloved Pat. We went to great lengths in the preparation of the documentary, going to many places, including their Church in Sha Tin and Pat’s secondary school at Waterloo Road, for location filming. It was late summer and Su thought that our dear friend might need advice on what to wear, to which he responded calmly and confidently, “Su, I know how to dress myself up!” Anyway, the celebrations marking their Golden Wedding Anniversary culminated in a dinner somewhere in Yau Ma Tei; and meanwhile, he organized his 80th Birthday Party at Zetland Hall which was a full house and attended by many in the present company today.
He was a very dedicated and committed Freemason, he had been extremely active, first in the Irish Constitution and later in the English Constitution which he joined in 2007 and in which he became the Worshipful Master of Rotarian Lodge between 2018 and 2019 and to which he had throughout made significant and generous donations to charity, in particular to the Rotarian Lodge Charitable Foundation, of which he was the Founding Chairman up till he left. He had joined many other Masonic units or what we call side orders, in most of which he had risen to the top and had taken up various important offices. His departure will be sorely missed. To start with, he will indeed be missed and remembered as Treasurer of many units for long years, again, up to the very end.
He was hardworking and had never stopped working. He certainly had lived the spirit of what St. Paul’s said in his letters that everyone ought to work for one’s livelihood. He walked to his office in Sheung Wan from home on most days and often back, and for that God had given him good health and strength all these years to go through the vicissitudes in life. He was blessed not to have to live a day in hospital or in hospice care homes towards the end. Indeed, he continued to travel abroad extensively on Masonic and other activities even in the last year, fully reflecting his capacity and commitment to the community and his love for life.
Three years ago, he invited me to join him on many Saturdays during which he would narrate his past from birth, through the war years and afterwards, complete with how he began his career as a manager, how he joined the insurance industry first as a broker and later as a name for Lloyd’s and finally how he started his own insurance company, specializing in jewelry and for which he was so proud. These private interviews were all conducted in the comfort of his home and I had taken copious notes. I had written up a few chapters which I had given him for comments, but he had not come back to me. He had always remarked that there was plenty of time for that and that there was no hurry. We had embarked on the project with a view to producing some form of a memoir, but Su had always thought that it was his excuse to get me to accompany him for more drinking sessions and fine dinners, which was how most of these sessions ended. Yes, we both enjoyed good whiskey and fine dining, and I was always grateful to be in his company, for I, in particular, am too weak to refuse good food and wine.
Nevertheless, through these sessions, I have learned more of and from this great man. I learnt how he survived the last war, took care of his younger brother, returned back to Hong Kong and studied in Wah Yan College, which was also my alma mater. I also learned how he got to know and court Patricia, with whom he had a life of more than 65 years and between them had gotten Brenda. He recalled the time he bought his love a diamond ring and a gold-embroidered bride’s gown which cost him an arm and a leg in those days; and he had broad smiles on him when he related the story. He also recalled how he visited Pat in Tasmania unannounced when she was there to read for a degree in Public Health after her retirement from public service for which she was recognized and awarded an MBE by the Colonial government. Pat was pleasantly surprised and happily amazed when she opened the door to find her love with a bunch of flowers. How romantic! She was the eldest student in the class that year. Some ten years down the road, the couple went on another nostalgic trip to Tasmania, in 2008, and I was invited to be on the tour because I was then alone, and I was happy to share part of their lives and memories.
There are more episodes between the romantic couple. For example, Pat had been a top operative in public health in general and in social hygiene in particular, and was required to visit clients operating in bars in Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsui. Our friend had escorted her to these girlie establishments those days, simply out of tender loving care.
My dear friends, 高老爺 was beyond doubt a character larger than life and one whom God had willed to have been with us for nearly a full century. I will say no more, confident that Jesus will take him in his arms to everlasting life. He had certainly lived respected and died regretted. As we pray for him, we also pray that God will grant peace and strength to Pat and Brenda and the rest of the family during such trying times. Thank you and may God be with you all.
