Dan Ho

Peter Ho

Danny was a wonderful servant of God. He dedicated his entire life to serving Him and he touched all of us in so many ways. Today, I want to share with you some of those memories of my brother.

When I was 12 years old, I had hoped for a brother to play with, since I already had four younger sisters as part of the family. My father, too, had always wanted another son, so when Danny was born, I was so happy about him being part of the family and told all my classmates the very next day about my newly born baby brother. That was a truly joyous day for all of us.

There were some very vivid memories of Danny. I remember one specific moment in the year 1965, when our whole family was on route to immigrate to the United States - to start a whole new life in an unfamiliar country -- we thought we had lost him on the plane. Our mother panicked and suddenly shouted, "Where is my son?" In an already stressful moment in our lives, we found Danny, sleeping comfortably under the seat, as calm as could be. It's reflective of how it had always been - being so calm and collected in any challenging or new situation that he may have faced.

Some of you may not know, as a teenager, Danny loved to play basketball. He joined a basketball team, and, I believe, he represented N.Y.C. to play a game in Philadelphia.

When he became a husband to Barbara, and then a father to Ryan and Andrew, Danny and his entire family would visit us almost every year in Boston. Each time Danny visited, he came bearing gifts of exotic fish, such as the African Cichlids, and fish tanks to host the new pets. One time, he even brought 3 small turtles for my children, who were delighted with them and named them after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Our family also visited Danny and his family in Flushing - my children always looked forward to seeing their cousins - playing, eating, and enjoying time with their grandparents, who also came over. Those were moments both our families cherished. We all enjoyed Dim-Sum too, so we would make sure to make a trip to the restaurant nearby for good food. Danny always loved "Ging Doh Gwut" - and was ecstatic that our children shared the same love of that dish.

The last time that we talked to each other was about 10 months ago. I was concerned due to the flooding and high winds in Houston. I was so worried about the well-being of both Danny and Barbara. I called them to make sure that everyone was okay and safe. We had a wonderful conversation - catching up on old times, discussing the work that we were both doing for the church, and just being brothers.

Sadly, on February 11th, in the afternoon, I received a call from one of our sisters, and found out that Danny was with our Lord. I wept with my sister over the phone. We were 7 - and now we are 6. It was such a sad moment in our lives - a lot to handle. I even asked God, "Why Danny - at such a young age, was he taken from us?" Danny had so much to live for and could continue to do great work for our Lord. It truly is heartbreaking and still hard for me to accept that he is gone.

However, I believe when we face any loss, disappointment, or difficult circumstance, God invites us to be honest with Him. He can handle our ever-changing emotions and our questions. He remains with us and refreshes our spirits with enduring faith and hope. Even when we feel like our lives are falling apart, God can make our faith and hope unbreakable.

On one occasion, Dwight L. Moody, the great American evangelist said, "Someday, you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody is dead. Don't you believe one word of it. At that moment, I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher that's all - out of this old day hotel into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like Christ's glorious body".

Let us remember Danny - in all that he has given to us and the special moments we shared with him - we will cherish him always in our hearts. I know that Danny is with our parents and our grandmother in Heaven now. Let God comfort all of us, especially Barbara, Ryan, Andrew and all their families. Thank you for attending this service, helping us to deal with our sorrow and remembering all the joy that Danny brought into our lives - he well be missed. May God bless each one of you and support you with the palms of His hands.