Rachel H. Chinn

May 17, 1934 - March 10, 2021

Rachel Han Chinn died on March 10, 2021 in Foster City at the age of 86. Rachel is preceded in death by her husband Roger Chinn (1933 – 2020); parents Salome Choi Han (1906 – 1999) and Han Kee Chan (1897 – 1948), her brother Howard Han (1931 - 2019) (Shirley 1936 - 2017). She is survived by her children, Annette; Robert (Sarah) and grandchildren Tyler and Alex; her sisters Marie Ann Yoo (Tai June) and Elizabeth Backman (Karl); cousins Paul (Kaye) Namkoong and Joan Namkoong; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Rachel was born in Honolulu on May 17, 1934. She grew up during the plantation days in Kunia – living on a pineapple plantation, walking through the fields picking pineapple, lilikoi, guava and macadamia nuts, even learning to drive in the pineapple fields. She attended Leilehua School and Kaimuki High School. She went on to the University of Hawaii before moving to Los Angeles for two years, and then settling in San Francisco.

Rachel and Roger married February 15, 1961 and lived in Oakland for 2 years before putting down lifelong roots in Foster City. Rachel had an 18-year career with United Airlines where she worked in the wide and narrow body kitchens as an administrator and buyer.

Her interests were varied and she was passionate about: Ikebana, sewing, cooking and baking – particularly well known for her cookies, mah jong, daily walks on the levee, volunteering with the Friends of the Foster City Library, an avid reader who loved musicals and the theater. She loved her stand-by flying benefit from United Airlines; she traveled to Hawaii several times a year – visiting her sisters and brother in Honolulu and her cousin on the Big Island. Rachel was a world traveler – traveling with her mom, sisters, cousin Joan, friends and family. Her travels took her to Korea, Russia, Switzerland, France, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Mexico, a River Cruise in Europe, China including the Yangtze River and Shanghai, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and numerous locations in the US.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date, and her ashes will be scattered on Oahu.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Friends of the Foster City Library (fofclibrary.org), the Hillbarn Theatre (hillbarntheatre.org), or to a charity of your choice.