Kevin M. Acebo
Timmy was my friend and high school classmate at Bishop O'Dowd. Smart, witty and caring. Timmy and his twin brother Tommy were the second set of Chinese American twins at O'Dowd, also graduates of St. Anthony's High School, Richie and Ricky Owyang, who were classmates of my oldest brother, 2 years ahead of our class of 1975. Timmy along with his twin brother Tommy were members of our O'Dowd daily lunch bunch table crew along with Earl Castillo, Carl Jameson, Ron Seraile, Daryl Ford, Ramona Raymond, Sally Leyva, Dianna Pitta, Sal Castro, Jimmy Lyons, Bill Bruner and others I cannot recall. It was a lively bunch, many laughs, diverse but bound by a common spirit. One fond memory of Timmy was English Literature class with Mrs. Puppione, the subject was Hemminway's "The Sun Also Rises", and Timmy had a penchant for pithy observations matched with a vocabulary far beyond a normal high school classroom discussion, leaving many of those in the class speechless and impressed, and those who were his friends quietly cheering our boy on from St. Anthony's elementary in the flatlands of Oakland saying "damn Timmy, you go ahead with your bad self." Many of us from O'Dowd are Oakland kids and Timmy represented the best of what's great about Bump City especially Oakland Chinatown. In some way those values, experiences, impressions, relationships are what contributed to Timmy AND Tommy's uniqueness we all became fond of and embraced. Timmy's gentle spirit was never to be mistaken for not being tough which none of us ever wanted be on the opposite side of considering him and Tommy had been kung fu students from a young age. We all were engulfed at that time in the explosion of how the marital cinema genre in the 1080's came alive. Timmy were just shake his head and laugh when I brought my nunchucks to school. From the Acebo Family to the Wong family we send our condolences and prayers to you all during this difficult time and may the touching memories of Timmy bring you comfort. Tommy, Carl Jameson was the one who informed me of Timmy's passing and both of send our love and support to you, our Dragon and Oakland brother. Timmy, may your journey be a peaceful one and when you sit down for lunch in heaven say hi to Ron and Ramona for us. Love and Rest in Power, Kevin M. Acebo