Keng Mun Low

Keng Mun Low – A devoted son, a beloved husband and a doting father, a civil engineer and almost an American Idol.

Keng Mun is survived by his mother, brother, wife and their three sons, as well as many family members spanning from the US, Malaysia and Singapore. 

He was born in a small town of Bentong, Malaysia on November 14, 1965, the first son born to Low Teck-Hoi and Fu Sai-Mui.  His younger brother, Keng Choong made the family complete in 1967. Keng Mun was already independent at a young age.  He left home at the age of 15 to attend school in Kuala Lumpur, followed by Singapore Polytech for higher education at 17, and at the age of 21, he crossed the Pacific to attend college in Arkansas, USA.  While in college, he interned and worked at various jobs (such as blueberry farms) to earn money to travel home to see his family.   

During the summer heat of 1990, he trekked from Arkansas to California, with no AC and bucket of ice on the passenger seat on his VW Scirocco to work for Caltrans in District 6. Ask any of his colleagues during his 33-year career at Caltrans, and they would tell you Keng Mun loved his job and was good at it.  He could discuss bridge design and construction endlessly, providing guidance and support with his soft-spoken approach.

Keng Mun deeply treasured the lifelong friendships formed along each step of his journey. He loved receiving updates about his friends and family, and always looked forward to reunions around the world.   

In 1999, he suavely invited Tety (a foodie) to lunch, convincing her he was so hungry, he could eat a horse.  The rest was history.  They married in 2000 and welcomed their sons Ian, Adam, and Jacob.  Although he wasn’t a man of big stature, his heart was of a giant.  His family meant everything to him. If the boys would still let him, you would see Keng Mun hold his kids’ hands while crossing the street, even though they are 22-, 20- and 18-year-olds.

Among the many things Keng Mun enjoyed was bingeing on Korean drama (K-drama).  His favorite phrase was “Sarang-eh” (love you) which was music to Tety’s ears.  If his vocal cords weren’t damaged, we would have seen him on “American Idol” as he liked to belt his Conway Twitty and Rod Steward’s songs.  Sadly though, he could only claim that he was just a badminton and chess champion in college.

Keng Mun Low passed away on February 10, 2023, at the young age of 57.  He will be immeasurably missed but eternally loved.