Sherman Sin Kok Yong

We wish to honor and celebrate the life of our beloved husband, father, grandfather & great-grandfather, Sherman Sin Kok Yong. He passed away peacefully at home on December 24th, 2020, surrounded by his loving wife, children, and grandchildren. One day prior, his family celebrated his 92nd lunar birthday.



Sherman is survived by his wife, Pauline Pui Kuen, 4 children (Mary, Edward, Lily, and Paul), 3 in-laws (Karen, Vincent, and Joanna), 10 grandchildren (Candice, Roxanne, Derek, Rachel, Jeremy, Brian, Sean, Grace, Jillian, and Matthew), 3 grand in-laws (Christopher, Philippe, and Sampath), and 2 great-grandchildren (Alexandra and Rosalia).



Sherman was born on November 9, 1929, per lunar calendar, in Mew Bien - Lok Se Village, Taishan county of Guangdong Province in China. He was born to Louis Young and Choi Sin Chan and was the younger of 2 children. His paternal grandparents were Fong Deck Yong and Kim Hai Chang.



Sherman attended school in China and worked as a banker after high school graduation. He married Pauline Pui Kuen Chan in 1957 in Guangzhou, China. In 1960, he immigrated to Hong Kong where he worked as a ticket collector and bus conductor at Kowloon Bus Transportation. In 1968, Sherman immigrated to America and held jobs as an auto repair shop worker, a Chinatown grocery store stocker, an assistant to his wife in operating a sewing factory and a custodian for the San Francisco Unified School District for over 40 years until he retired in 1992.



Life in America was not easy for Sherman and his family. In 1968, when they first arrived from Hong Kong to San Francisco, Sherman knew no English. Yet, he did not allow language to be a barrier to his success. He worked in various jobs during the day and attended evening custodial classes - all taught in English. With determination, he received his custodial certificate. To others, being a custodian appears to be ranked as inferior class. Yet, Sherman saw the glass as half-full; he always praised himself by exclaiming what a great way to practice and improve his Chinese calligraphy as he mopped the endless school halls and classrooms. Through years of hard work and frugality, he moved his family from a San Francisco rental flat into a purchased Pacifica home located on top of the mountain, facing the Pacific Ocean.



We are grateful that you were a part of Sherman's life. Family and his Christian faith were very important to Sherman. Despite his long hours at work, Sherman never neglected to provide love, joy, and time to his family. On weekends, he would bring his family out to Fisherman's Wharf piers for fishing and crabbing; Crissy Fields and Golden Gate Park for bike riding and tree climbing. He loved spending time with family, going on family vacations, fixing cars and things around his house, gardening with his wife and challenging others to Chinese chess, especially with his sons and grandsons. He enjoyed playing basketball during his younger days in China and became a huge sports fan in America. Sherman never liked to sit still. He would walk 4 to 5 miles per day. If it was raining outside, he would climb up and down his stairs at home to stay in shape. He also loved his Christian family at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit and cherished the fellowship and music that enriched his life. He lived a long, happy, and abundant life with strong faith in his Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.



On behalf of the Yong family, we thank you and appreciate all of your condolences, prayers and support. We wish you all a safe and healthy new year.