Kai Wah "John" Loo

Kai Wah "John" Loo of Randolph passed away on October 27, 2025. He was 71.
John was born on October 19, 1954 to Chee Loo and Lin Chui (nee Woo) Loo in Hong Kong. He spent his childhood growing up in Kau Wah Keng New Village, Hong Kong. In 1967, he immigrated with his family to Boston, Massachusetts.
John graduated in the top ten in his class from Don Bosco Technical High School and went on to Tufts University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. When he wasn't at school, he worked nights and weekends at his family's restaurant in Franklin. During college, he met the love of his life, Yim Ling "Linda" Wong, at a party. They got married on September 29, 1979, and were inseparable for 46 years.
John was incredibly proud of his career as a civil engineer. After college, he worked for a private firm and was involved in projects such as the Cleveland Circle and Boston College MBTA maintenance facilities. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services where he managed many multi-million dollar hospital, college, and university projects such as the former Tufts Floating Hospital for Children in Boston and Tufts Medical School. John went on to a 30 year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Much of his work involved overseeing projects at U.S. military bases and installations domestically and around the world. John relished these travel opportunities and took the time to learn about local culture and go sightseeing during his free time. He worked on the early years of the Space Fence program before his retirement in 2013.
John loved to travel and had ambitious plans to see the world. He visited at least 40 U.S. states, more than 50 countries, and reached his goal of visiting six continents. John had an endless curiosity and a love for learning. He liked visiting historic sites, museums, state and national parks, and going to cultural events with his family; he was especially excited if there was free admission! He was very frugal, and getting a great bargain on something brought him a lot of joy.
John was a foodie who loved to eat and wanted to try everything. He would research the best local dishes to try when he was traveling. He was a natural conversationalist; when he and Linda took cruises or bus trips, he often struck up conversations with fellow travelers, and liked chatting with them about their lives. He liked passing on his knowledge, and was known for his long, often detailed stories.
John was an avid photographer who went through countless rolls of film, created mountains of family videos, and used up endless gigabytes for his photography. He documented everything from birthday parties to school concerts and family vacations. He was an active member of Boston Chinese Evangelical Church and served on the board of deacons in the 1990s.
As the eldest son in his family, John felt a deep sense of responsibility and duty to take care of everyone around him. He always wanted to provide the very best for his family, and he always went above and beyond that down to every last detail. From making sure his mother always had the Chinese groceries she needed, to getting the car in the mall parking lot and pulling up to the doors so his wife and daughters didn't have to walk, he was simply the best. He will be remembered as a loving son, brother, husband, father, uncle and Gung Gung to his grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, John is survived by his two daughters, Jamie (Jeffrey) Fijol and Christina (David) Fung; sister, Audrey (Hank) Loch; brother, Kenneth (Betty) Loo; grandchildren, Jonathan and Grace; uncle Tony (Teresa) Woo, and aunts, Hau Har Wong and Hau Lay Woo; brothers-in-law Peter (Min) Wong and Johnny (Linda) Wong and sister-in-law, Kam Lem; and extended family, including many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; grandson, Joshua; and brother-in-law Bill Lem.
Private services will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105, https://www.stjude.org/donate or to a charity of your choosing.
Arrangements under the care of the Cartwright Funeral Home, Randolph, www.cartwrightfuneral.com.