Arleen M. ChowPioneer Chinese American bilingual education teacher Mrs. Arleen M. Chow passed away peacefully in the morning of April 12, 2019 at the age of 97. Mrs. Chow was a teacher and vice principal of the historic Hip Wo School for 40 years, retiring in 2012. While earning her bachelor's degree and elementary education teaching credential at the University of San Francisco at the age of 60, Mrs. Chow served as a paraprofessional in the San Francisco Unified School District for over 30 years, retiring in 2003 at the age of 82. At Hip Wo, she created the Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) language teaching system that appealed to American-born Chinese students, integrating U.S. and Chinese history and popular culture with classical Chinese texts and books from the Republic of China on Taiwan. As a teacher and administrator she helped develop the school district's program of granting full foreign language equivalency credits to SFUSD students who took courses in community-based language schools. Mrs. Chow, born in the Fah Yuen District of Gwangdung, China, was also a stalwart of the Chinese Republican Club of San Francisco with commendations from then Governors Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson. As a young woman during World War II she supported China War Relief efforts by speaking and performing with her friends and schoolmates at various fund-raising events. Mrs. Chow is survived by her husband of 74 years, James W. Chow, her daughters Stephanie King and Lisa Chang (Daryl), her son Christopher (Mary), grandson Bruce, granddaughters Cheryl (Chris Hagedorn), Jennifer (Gianni Santangelo), Catherine (Henry Lin), grandson Richard Chang (Weilin), and great-grandsons Matthew, Aiden, William, Kyle, Owen, Marcus, Alex and Julian. Memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2019 starting at 10:30 a.m. at Ashley-McMullin, 4200 Geary Blvd., San Francisco. Interment at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, 1697 Hillside Blvd, Colma.