In Memory of Limin Cao

On March 26th 2023, my mother Limin Cao and our family dog Haku were tragically taken away from us. While taking an evening stroll just blocks away from our home, Limin, Haku and my sister were suddenly hit by a car. They were crossing a marked pedestrian crosswalk when a driver ran a red light and sped off leaving the scene. Emergency personnel arrived quickly, but were not able to save my mother despite their best efforts. My sister thankfully survived the incident with non-life threatening injuries. Our dog Haku also died on the scene.

My mother was a loving wife and mother of two. She was also a younger sister, as well as the daughter of two parents, all of whom were greatly devastated by the news.

She is remembered for her love and care for everyone around her. Whenever any of her friends were in trouble, they could always find a listening ear and a caring heart in Limin. She was a great mother. Even though she was not able to teach us everything from textbooks, she taught us invaluable life skills and instilled a love for learning in us.

Limin will also be remembered for her wisdom. When we were contemplating whether to move to the Bay Area, and when we had to make any major financial, personal, and family decisions, she was always the one making the decisive call, and she has always been proven right.

Our dog, Haku, was only two years old. He was not only the most obedient, but always brought joy and liveliness to the family. He loved to play and eat, just like a little boy, as Limin always said. A little boy who sometimes did not know right or wrong, and did not know what is the appropriate thing to do, but deep inside, we all know that he loves the family, and will always be there no matter what happens.

In an instant, my sister and I lost our mother and my dad lost the love of his life. Our lives have forever changed. As we learn to navigate life without our mother, our family is seeking support for funeral services for Limin and cremation services for our family dog. Funds will also be used to help cover traveling expenses for Limin’s parents to come to the United States for her funeral service. Any leftovers will be dedicated to a fund for my sister as well as my grandparents. We anticipate a long healing journey ahead, and are working on finding mental health and grief counselor services for my sister, my father, and myself.

Our family would like to thank the community for all of the kindness and compassion throughout the chaos of the past couple days: all of the people who stopped and got out of their cars to help control traffic, the person who promptly called 911, the nurse who rushed to the scene and tried life-saving measures before medics came, the neighbors who came out to offer their point of view and camera angles to the police, those who tended to her daughter before the ambulance arrived, the prompt response of the emergency personnel and their lifesaving attempts, the incredible work of SJPD for finding the car and making an arrest in less than 24 hours, and everyone who was there to walk with our family through our pain. Thank you for your humanity and thank you for honoring Limin’s memory through your outpouring of love and kindness.