Herrito Wai Shing Hui (August 6, 1961 – March 19, 2024)

Herrito was a charismatic and inspirational man who placed lifelong value in achievement. He broke barriers as a first-generation Asian American. He was a family man to the core, and we his extended family miss him dearly.

Herrito was a Hong Kong native. After graduating from the University of Western Ontario, Canada with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology in 1985, Herrito returned to Hong Kong and joined the marketing sector in the push to modernize Asia, helping to further industrialize China and supplying commodities to newly affluent Asian demands. By 1989, Herrito had shifted his focus to the watch manufacturing industries of Hong Kong.

In 1991, he moved to San Francisco and established the Fossil Age watch and clock shop in the Tenderloin district before relocating the store to the Sunset district in 1992. Local community members may recognize it as the California Watch & Clock Company located on Noriega Street for nearly 30 years. Under the mentorship of Certified Master Clockmaker Edward Waters, Herrito undertook the requisite examinations and was recognized by the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute as the first Chinese Certified Master Clockmaker in 1997. He has serviced the tower clock at Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, located at the intersection of California and Grant.

Never one to be idle, Herrito undertook yet another career change and began his electrician apprenticeship in 2000. He made journeyman in 2005 at the top of his class, and was an active IBEW Local 6 union member in good standing through his retirement in 2022. Some of the local Bay Area buildings he’s worked on include: the Amazon data center, UCSF hospital campuses at Parnassus and Mission Bay, and UC Law San Francisco.

He enjoyed his retirement, visiting Yosemite National Park (for the third time) and Los Angeles, and even vacationing for a month in his native Hong Kong. He and his wife loved hiking at Hetch Hetchy, and he particularly enjoyed sampling amazing dishes at every single mealtime in Hong Kong. Upon returning to the States, he finally got to indulge in all the free TV time he’d always wanted during his storied career.

Herrito is survived by his beloved family: wife Catry, daughter Yan Yan, mother Lam Wan Fong, sisters Ava and Mary, brother Kin and wife May, nieces Anita, Michele, and Jennifer, nephews Jonathan and Donald, and all their loving families.

Family and close friends are invited to attend Herrito’s memorial service on Tuesday, April 9 at 11:00 AM at the Sunset View Cemetery. Pastor Kin Hui will officiate.

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