Lolan Ho-Wong's Obituary
Charlyn Lolan Ho-Wong, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2026 at the age of 76. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, grew up in San Mateo, CA, and lived most of her life in San Francisco ,CA. The eldest daughter of three siblings, she is survived by her sister, Meilan Ho Creger (John Creger) and her brother, Greg Ho. She and Henry Ho-Wong (deceased in 2019) leave behind their children, Camille Formentos (Joseph Formentos), and Ian Ho-Wong, and grandchildren Hiero and Rison Formentos.
Her first name, Charlyn, was a combination of her parents, Evelyn Chai Hoo Lee and Richard Foo Wei Ho. She preferred to go by her Chinese name, Lolan. Lolan attended Aragon High School, UC Davis for her bachelor’s degree in History and SFSU for her teaching credential. She married Henry Wong in 1975 and had Camille in 1981 and Ian in 1984. They combined their last names when they got married and both legally changed their new last name to Ho-Wong. Lolan thoroughly enjoyed visiting with friends and extended family, and was very knowledgeable about our family tree. She worked for the Office of Civil Rights, under the Department of Education for many years before retiring. She really enjoyed gardening, traveling,
and enjoying the abundant and diverse food scene that San Francisco offered. She was a big supporter of the arts, always excited to visit new exhibits at the DeYoung, Asian Art Museum, MoMa, Palace of Fine Arts, etc. In her retirement years, she volunteered at the Asian Art Museum and the SF Ballet. She and Henry liked attending the ballet, and the opera. Lolan also had an interest in fashion, and architecture.
In March 2023, Lolan had major brain surgery to remove a large benign tumor. Being
hospitalized for her recovery led her to take her health more seriously. She had to relearn how to move and care for herself. With the help of a home health care team including a PT, OT, and speech therapist, she slowly but surely regained her skills. During her weekly therapy sessions she worked so hard and eventually became more independent again. She was very proud to be able to take neighborhood walks by herself, and enjoyed putting together care packages whenever she thought of her loved ones. She would always tell people that she was healing and feeling strong. She deeply loved her family and friends and will be greatly missed.
Lolan’s Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, April 6, 2026, 12noon-2pm in the Crystal Springs Chapel at Skylawn Memorial Park in Half Moon Bay (888 Lifemark Road, Half Moon Bay, CA 94109) followed by a time to gather over a meal at Cheung Hing in Millbrae (245 El Camino Real, Millbrae CA 94030) at 3pm. Dress code: Hawaiian or jewel toned attire welcome! If you would like to make a donation in memory of our mom, please consider Donaldina Cameron House, 920 Sacramento St., SF, CA., 94108, or another organization that is dear toyou.
Cameron House has supported generations of marginalized families, women and youth in SF Chinatown since 1874 and both Henry and Lolan were community members for decades. Please RSVP to [email protected] and [email protected] if you plan to attend the meal following the service.
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