In Memory of Mr. Kelvyn Lo

We learned with great sadness of the passing of Mr. Kelvyn Lo, Senior Finance Manager of the Finance Office, on 24 January 2021.

Kelvyn joined CUHK in 2014. He was an unsung hero who played an important role in the investment functions of the University and was instrumental to the University’s wise investment decisions and healthy returns for its staff.

I came to know Kelvyn in 2015, when I began conceiving a new column for the CUHK Newsletter intended to promote personal finance awareness among the readers. With Kelvyn’s advice and input, the monthly column of ‘Financially Friendly’ ran from 4 September 2015 (issue 462) to 19 May 2017 (issue 498). Since the column was unsigned, few knew Kelvyn was the mastermind behind it.

I kept meeting Kelvyn after the column had run its course. From time to time we would meet for lunch. His duty required him to take an early lunch to keep watch over the stock markets. Just as we were returning from lunch we’d see our famished counterparts from other offices queueing up in the canteens. There were times when he had to live on a very lean diet, but that was OK for me because food was not the most rewarding part of a meal with him. Conversation was.

Kelvyn struck me as a calmly rational young man who was older than his age. Being a finance professional, it’s not surprising that objectivity and a wee bit of detachment were patently exercised in how he saw things and talked about them. But his knowledge and interests were not limited to investment curves and stock trends. That made every conversation with him a refreshing duet of examining and weighing facts, claims and inferences. Not every CBD guy fits in with Shatin. Kelvyn had done it.

Until the last moments, managing his health had not distracted Kelvyn from carrying out his work dutifully and brilliantly. Colleagues were impressed with his resilience and infectious positivity. That explains why only a couple of days after the news of his passing came condolences had been pouring in from members of University management and outside parties who knew and worked with him at committees or other settings.

Kelvyn’s early bow from life’s stage is a great loss to the University and those who regard him not only as a dependable colleague but also as a trusted friend. Our thoughts are with his family in this difficult time.

A memorial mass for Kelvyn will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 9 February at St. Margaret’s Church, 2A Broadwood Road, Leighton Hill, Hong Kong.

By tommycho@cuhkcontents

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Kelvyn Lo Finance Office non-teaching staff