Kent Kuen Cheuk

Kent Kuen Cheuk, 92, of Olivette, Missouri, died April 13, 2024, at Mercy de Greeff Hospice House in south St. Louis, where he was transferred following a short stay at Mercy Hospital after suffering a stroke on April 3rd.

Born March 3, 1932, in the Guangdong Province in China, Kent was the fourth of six children, all of whom predeceased him in Hong Kong and in the US. He faced hardship early in his life due to the Japanese invasion of China. He lost his father at the age of eight and later became separated from his family. He joined a group of orphans moving from village to village to escape the Japanese troops.

After World War II, he remained separated from his mother and siblings. Nevertheless, he sought out opportunities for education. His self-taught skills in electronics led him to work as a radar technician at the Hong Kong airport. He also taught classes in electronics at a technical school.

He finally reunited with his mother in the late 1950s. In 1962, Kent met Kathy Kwei-Ying Ho and they married on September 11, 1964. They welcomed a son in 1966 and a daughter in 1968.

Looking ahead to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China and seeking a better life for their children, the family immigrated to the United States in 1973. They settled in Shreveport, Louisiana, to be near the families of his siblings Schuman Yang and Wayne Chuck. Another sibling, Sybil Feng, and her family later joined them in Shreveport. Kent worked as an electronic repair technician for Sears until he suffered a heart attack in 1989. The family was active in the Chinese and English congregations of First Baptist Shreveport.

Kent and Kathy moved to Olivette, Missouri, in 2002 to live near their daughter Lisa and her family. Since then, he has been an active member of St. Louis Chinese Baptist Church.

Kent's interests and passions were varied and eclectic. He enjoyed playing the harmonica, wood-working, history documentaries, Looney Tunes, action movies, and anything sweet or chocolatey. He was both playful and competitive during games of Chinese checkers or ping pong.

With a quiet nature, Kent often expressed himself with his hands, enjoying the intersection of the technical, functional, and artistic. He was a skilled photographer and illustrator. With his massive collection of tools, he repaired broken TVs, clocks, appliances, and anything else that needed mending. He invented an array of novel systems ranging from “diaper moisture-sensors” (quickly abandoned) to “piano practice timers” that would only count down when a child was playing the piano. He was a master at combining materials both high and low tech to create unique contraptions. He fashioned tools, toys, candle-holders, theater props, furniture, and even a treehouse. His ever-growing collection of flashlights was a fitting symbol of the light he shared with us all.

He is survived by his wife Kathy; son Michael Cheuk and his wife Beth of Charlottesville, VA; daughter Lisa Kastner and her husband Ed of Olivette, MO; four grandchildren: Thea, Audrey, Wesley, and Evelyn; and many beloved nephews and nieces.

A memorial service will be held at St. Louis Chinese Baptist Church, 908 Jungermann Rd, Saint Peters, MO 63376, on Saturday, May 11, 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Louis Chinese Baptist Church.