Memories of Mr. Emerson ""Animal"" Chin

In memory of

Mr. Emerson ""Animal"" Chin

San Francisco, CA

1949 - March 5, 2023

1949 - Mar 5, 2023

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Denise So

Emerson always enjoyed a good challenge to share his fun in doing art.

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Denise So

In 2022, they had Boy Scout troops and veterans but what Emerson shared was the Lions Club sponsorship of the event along with other businesses to help bring back life to Chinatown so he would say “Come check out the two days car show on Grant Avenue, my favorite is the car parade!”—Emerson

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Denise So

Emerson was a pacific bus museum member and enjoyed connecting with his bus buddies like they were sharing Nascar adventures. Emerson was always giddy and all excited to attempt to sit on all the different buses in their treasure trove, we only managed to sit in six of them for the years he took us. In this photo Emerson was looking happy as his friend David is boarding a vintage muni to join in on the parade of buses at he Pacific Bus Museum and we were to board with him. -Mrs. Lowe, Pacific Bus Museum Fan

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Denise So

A delightful barbacue with home made salads! And a learning experience hearing all the historical moments in buses and how buses shaped vacationing and traveling . This is a must see museum with drivers who are gung-ho about sharing their life experiences. -Denise

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Denise So

Miss Asia beauty pageant was a place Emerson always told us to volunteer because the ladies had service platforms to campaign for to help the Chinese community. His favorite friend was Miss Rose who inspired the delegates. So many of us did that, we ushered, hemmed dresses and did ID reception and we keep doing it in 2023 because we remember Emerson. We usually would see photographer Michael Jeong capturing talent/entertainment photos but this year he isn’t with us to see us volunteer.

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Denise So

Thank you for opening our eyes to see the fortunate, you helping them made them have fortune and food. Happy birthday. Thank you for sharing heart with us. God was with you look how easy it was to get a mortuary to have so many friends gather, and everything went so smoothly. And if ten people say the same thing about you, you lived a lifetime in our lives and that was no lie we just never told you enough thank yous! -Janice P.

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Denise So

Here’s to your birthday that comes only once a year. Knowing you is a joy and a blessing. You live once, if you live it right, you make people happy—Emerson Chin

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Denise So

Skateboard friends wonder where is “animal” Emerson? Is he like Tony Hawk skateboarding until he can’t do it anymore? Is he finding jobs for friends at the SF Giants and Forty-niners. Emerson is in our lives for a lifetime and now he is in our memory on his 🎂birthday

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Denise So

One of Emerson’s favorite thing was seeing the auto show and buying autos and busses and collecting magnet photos of the prettiest vehicles

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Denise So

Jonji Chinese tamales made from love to warm the tummies of loved ones. Emerson used to make it with his mom and enjoy eating it : salted eggs, pork, shrimp, peanut and rice, a meal with a string that tied it like a fist sized heart. We met to share time and we realized three people said the same thing about our veteran friend Emerson: -he connected with people without discriminating -he shared money and food and shelter knowing tomorrow he’d have more -he worked till the last day of his life -he always tried to find jobs for others.

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Sherwin Lee

Comments:

Sherwin Lee

Thanks for the reminder of making Jonji with family. Thanks for the reminder of making Jonji with family. Thanks for the reminder of making Jonji with family.... Read more

Denise So

Emerson fun playing —we don’t say good bye. Cause we remember what you taught us. You wanted us to play fun games at Post 4618 Anniversary on 7-23-2023. We played your spear in the basket game. No one got five chopsticks in the basket, just one, two and maybe three. It was fun playing, all that love to play and enjoy and the banana cream pie a symbol of you running far and wide to Alameda to bring it to your veteran comrades. We brought it and we will keep the memory of you and veterans alive. How can your story end if we never forget you cause you taught us to always have fun the Emerson way!

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Denise So

Why was Emerson a tough act to follow? He was a small man with work money. He worked and he had money. He gave a bit of himself. He gave a bit to others. He offered a helpful act or suggestion In a timely manner. He offered a kind word, “Come on be happy, I am here what can I do.” He gave understanding. His time and life and then a forklift out of a rough spot. He actually could drive a forklift for the veterans during fleet week and for Red Cross.

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Denise So

Dear Emerson,

Air Force veteran in Vietnam

You even helped with mortuary service duty

Collecting dog tags and body parts

You came home and people who passed, their moms hugged you

But they didn’t want you to return

Only your mom was your true supporter

You visited sick comrades and veterans

You could not sleep because you could not shake off the PTSD and all the faces of the friends that did not return so you lived for them.

We believe in Emerson.

I wish we had a photo of you

In your battle fatigue from Vietnam, we may have seen one but I wish we had one to remember you.

Ada

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Sherwin Lee

Denise So

Every time there was a Chinatown food giveaway Emerson would go with his Lions Club members to stand early in the morning til sometimes 6pm to give nutritious food bags to seniors. His legs had gout but that never stopped a bleeding heart for helping others.

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Denise So

Got an old email of a place Emerson would eat at for where’s the beef hamburgers and a large soda when he was out late wondering North Beach Chinatown. Emerson always liked old mom and pop places where the dad worked during the day and the son worked the nights and he would chat about the good old days.

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Denise So

Every year Bill Jeong and Emerson and Dennis Otoshi would go with us and Red Cross to support the Community Youth Center sponsored by Michael Jang and Michael Wong is the program director. This year we went No Bill Jeong, No Dennis Otoshi, No Michael Jeong, No Emerson Chin. Usually with so many photographers we usually see Michael Jeong taking photos but Bill Jeong only son passed in March 2023. Dennis is in Ukraine Red Cross. Emerson always tells us to go to support the youth programs and Michael Wong’s good community minded youth activities. Emerson always showed up to buy a table and buy raffle tickets to support fundraising for youths center because Emerson said, “we have to work together with Michael Wong and the CYC, cause youths are our hope for tomorrow.” Many times Emerson invited his skateboard buddies because they and youths were his two best buddies. We had a nice lunch and enjoyed the seniors that came to dance and sing and even Mayor London Breed came to award the youths. -Denise

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Sherwin Lee

Denise So

Memorial Day - Emerson always made time to be there for those fallen. He would always take us on a walk over to the Vietnam veteran head stones and tell us “we don’t know them all but it is nice to take time to stop by to remember.” -Ada

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Denise So

Emerson took us to visit this museum to see the heroics of men recorded on the walls, they even had cartoons that showed the suffering. Emerson said “I like the cartoons, it’s funny yet it teaches us to survive, keep trying, smile, be happy to live, find one thing good that’s what we do in military and in life to survive.” Emerson loved reading the cartoons in the papers.

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Denise So

Emerson was really gung-ho about Asian Pacific month, he would go to the Cinco de Mayo events on 25th and Mission and he’d go to the Lion dance competition to support an activity that kept kids from shoplifting and being bad kids. He told us lion dancing was for health, self defense and an activity for kids so parents could have babysitting and keep Chinese American kids out of juvenile hall because they busied themselves with fun activities to teach them how to work together like a family, team work and persistence and showing up on time to practice and fall and practice again, all things lion dancing taught kids: “In a job, you may not sell the most, you may not be the smartest, but always look professional and show up, have bad days but be positive and happy, be on time then no one will fire you.”— Emerson Chin

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Denise So

Emerson was always happy and smiling and appreciated each banquet meal to kick back with his veteran comrades. He called it a banquet because it felt like they had not seen each other in a year. Everyone ate comfort food like salted fish meatloaf, Chinese sausage cured pork clay pot, had a house soup the way mom made it, and everyone checked on each other once a month on health, wished each other happy birthday, and when someone passed away they gave money to their funeral and showed up to say their last good byes, and if they had an event someone from post always showed up To say post 4618 cares!

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MARIA DICHOV

Shared a heart

MARIA DICHOV

Bon Buz

Comments:

MARIA DICHOV

Emerson and friends at the Memorial Day Ceremony, San Francisco National Cemetery, 27 May 2019. Pictured:... Read more Emerson and friends at the Memorial Day Ceremony, San Francisco National Cemetery, 27 May 2019. Pictured: Helen Wong, Ronald... Read more Emerson and friends at the Memorial Day Ceremony, San... Read more

Denise So

“Kindness makes the deaf hear and the blind see.”—Emerson Chin. After he said that he would laugh. “People rarely move when you scold them. Be kind. When you put them down, when you take away things they like with a threat, you can’t get anyone to move mountains. People learn to be deaf to avoid confrontation and avoid heartbreak. You can get more things done when you use an ounce of honey 🍯 and be kind verses using all the souring swear words to swear at them with fear and threats or even screams.” You will only know a person’s value like Emerson when they walk away and leave. When what you meant to share is left idle strewn on the floor without an owner or someone who likes it, or when you see their empty chair. And miss all the jokes and giggles you had when they sat right there with you. “Have kind words think kinder thoughts being unwanted, unloved, uncared for forgotten is being hungry. Everyday many suffer from hunger from lack of, you guessed it, no love. No kindness. Stronger people standup for people who need us in our family. Kindness makes the deaf hear and the blind see. People rarely move when you scold them. When you put them down, when you take away things they like, you can’t get anyone to move mountains. Have kind words think kinder thoughts being unwanted, unloved, uncared for forgotten is being hungry. Many suffer from hunger from lack of, you guessed it, no love. No kindness. Show you are there is a blessing for them. Stronger people standup for people who need us in there family. People who show heart don’t wear it on their wrists they use heart in all they do and say and the world belly flops at your every beckon and call ☎️. Everything runs so smooth when you butter them with joy and kindness. And you wonder why the ones who are deaf because of often hearing your thank yous now listen to you and come. You wonder why people who never see now move and open their eyes to look at you with gentle eyes.” Emerson was somebody who made the blind see and made the deaf listen and made the giving give more. “Don’t wear your heart on your wrists, use heart in all you do and say and the world belly flops at your every beckon and call ☎️. Everything runs so smooth when you butter them with joy and kindness.” Be kind Be happy Smile— Emerson

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Bon Buz

Denise So

Emerson always encouraged us to support JROTC. He taught us that youths learn respect, you-me teamwork, pride and self esteem. Every time he heard at the veteran meetings about the date he would say “let’s go support them. Youths are our future.” We would eat what they sold for lunch and cheer them on.

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Denise So

Bon Buz

Comments:

Denise So

Every now and then we each release a treasured memory of Emerson into the world so his family and friends... Read more Every now and then we each release a treasured memory of Emerson into the world so his family and friends knows what a joy it ... Read more Every now and then we each release a treasured memory... Read more