Grace Kum Chun Ho-Heim of San Diego passed away on March 26, 2021. Born on Sept. 10, 1939, in Singapore, she was the youngest child and only daughter of Say Yew Ho and Choi Peng Lee.
She grew up in Singapore and attended grade and high school there. She graduated from St. Anthony’s Convent School. After graduation, she attended Teacher’s Training College and spent several years teaching in Singapore.
In the early 1970’s she began a new journey coming to the United States for more education. She came with deep faith knowing that since she could speak English she would be successful.
Grace earned a bachelor’s degree at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey in music education. After earning this degree, she attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence and graduated with a master’s degree in special education.
She ended up in Hoxie, Kansas, where she taught children with learning disabilities. Here she met her future husband, Bill Heim, and they were married for nearly 25 years.
After the Kansas experience, she returned to teach in Singapore for a year. While there she was instrumental in bringing her mother to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior.
She returned to Kansas for another year of teaching before moving to San Diego in 1986. She taught special education and music for many years in the San Diego Unified School District. Assignments began at Florence Elementary, then on to Juarez Elementary and Terrasanta Elementary. Her final assignment was at Doyle Elementary. She retired in 2010.
Grace had a beautiful soprano voice and enjoyed singing and playing the piano. She also enjoyed traveling, knitting, attending Bible Study classes, and visiting family and friends.
Sharing Christ with others and leading them to eternal salvation were a top priority for Grace. Family was also very important. She brought many of her nieces and nephews to a saving knowledge of Christ. She would gather them and bring them to weekly Sunday School classes at Wesley Methodist Church while in Singapore. She gifted her family by continually praying daily for them. She was always willing and ready to sacrifice for their well-being.
Grace is survived by her husband, Bill, of San Diego. She is also survived by two brothers Wing Kong and Win Tock and four sisters-in-law Ngan Mui, Dorothy Kwee Ying, Chew Peck, and Mei Lien all of Singapore, as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Michael Weng Hin, Wing Kok, Wing Lee, and Weng Fatt and one sister- in- law Susie Loy Sitoh.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. June 14 at El Camino Mortuary Memorial in Sorrento Valley, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego.
A second service will be at 11 a.m. June 16 at the Mickey Leopold Funeral Home in Hoxie. Inurnment will follow the service at St. Frances Cabrini Cemetery in Hoxie.
A memorial service is planned for Singapore at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to: Capuchin Province of Mid-America, Samaritan’s Purse (Billy Graham), Family Radio or San Diego Rescue Mission.