Steven Chew Sr.

Steven Chew Sr.
July 25, 1947 - October 6, 2021
Steven Chew Sr. passed away on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at the age of 74 in San Francisco, CA. His battle with a very aggressive form of cancer demonstrated his courage and fearlessness as he maintained his positive spirit and stayed strong and mentally sharp until the very end.

Steven was born in San Mateo, CA in 1947 to Philip and Pei-Wah Chew. He was a track star in high school and proudly ran the torch for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. He was fast enough to qualify for the Junior Olympic trials, but he turned down the opportunity to continue helping run his father's store. Throughout his life, Steven was so selfless, always working hard to take care of others and never expecting anything in return.

Philip was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and Steven followed in his father's footsteps by serving in the U.S. Army for 6 years. He was deployed to Vietnam at the height of the War in 1968 and was honorably discharged a few years later. It wasn't easy for Steven being one of the only Asian Americans in his unit, fighting a war in an Asian country, but he showed the same courage and fearlessness in surviving unthinkable dangers at war that his family had seen from him throughout his life.

When Steven returned from Vietnam in 1969, he met the love of his life, Angelina Chew, and they got married in 1976. Steven then started the next stage of his career in the grocery business where he spent over 30 years working at Albertsons and Safeway, with the majority of that time serving as the night crew manager of those stores. It was not easy for him, working long hours in the middle of the night, but as with everything in his life, Steven never complained and always just rolled up his sleeves and got the job done.

In 1980, Steven and Angelina had their first and only child, Steven "Stevie" Chew Jr., who was also born in San Mateo, CA. Despite working long hours in the middle of the night, Steven would forgo sleeping during the day in order to spend time with his son - attending his swim meets and karate tournaments, helping him practice his free throws, taking him to baseball card shows, and even playing video games. He spent 34 years taking care of his son's pet turtle, Ralph, and did such an amazing job that Ralph is still alive and well today. Steven was so excited to witness his son's marriage to Jing Chew in 2019 and welcome her to the family.

Steven's favorite hobbies were fishing, chess, and coin collecting. He was also a huge fan of all the Bay Area sports teams. He was thrilled to get the chance to see the Warriors play in the NBA Finals, the Giants play in the World Series, and the 49ers play in the NFC Championship game. Before he passed away, Steven received a phone call from Joe Montana, and it lifted his spirits giving him the will to continue fighting until the very end.

Steven was a very hard worker - diligent, disciplined, and detail-oriented - and lived his life with a high level of integrity. He was selfless and compassionate - always thinking about the well being of others over himself. He was also a very honest man who never went back on his word. Finally, he was unwaveringly devoted to his wife, Angelina, as they were married for 45 years, living in the same house in Belmont, and spent every waking minute together in their post-retirement years.

In addition to his wife, son, and daughter-in-law, Steven is mourned by his three sisters and their families - Stella Chew and Rod Harkness; Sylvia Chew; and Suzanne, David, and Geoffrey Chan - as well as his cousin, Hsiaolin Yang. His family misses him dearly but knows he is in a better place doing God's work in heaven.