The HKBU Foundation records with deepest sorrow the passing of Dr. David Ho Tzu Cho, Honorary Chairman of The S.H. Ho Foundation Limited, Honorary Trustee of the HKBU Foundation, on 28 March 2024 at the age of 101.

Dr. David Ho was a distinguished banker and entrepreneur. He began his career in the United States and Thailand before returning to Hong Kong in 1957 to join Hang Seng Bank Limited, which was co-founded by his father Dr. Ho Sin Hang. As a Director of the Bank, Dr. David Ho contributed significantly to its rapid growth in the 1960s and 1970s. Later in the 1980s, he assumed the role as the Chairman of Bethlehem Management Limited and took the family business to great heights.

Dr. David Ho was a life-long philanthropist who dedicated himself to sustaining his father’s legacy of giving back to the community. He was a Vice Patron of The Community Chest of Hong Kong and donated to a variety of social welfare projects through The S.H. Ho Foundation Limited. Dr. David Ho was particularly passionate about charitable causes related to education, medical services and support for the underprivileged. Recipients of his benefactions included a series of educational institutions and non-governmental organisations, both at home and abroad.

The Sin Hang Campus at HKBU also bears the name of Dr. David Ho’s father, which is a testament to the steadfast support rendered by the Ho family. Over the years, Dr. David Ho and his family generously supported the University’s initiatives, including the establishment of the Wai Hang Sports Centre and the David C. Lam Building. Dr. Ho also spared no effort in supporting medical research and the cultivation of talents. This was evident in his donation in 1999 for establishing a joint research laboratory in Chinese medicine by HKBU and Tsinghua University in Beijing, and his donation in 2020 towards the establishment of the S.H. Ho Student Exchange Scholarship Endowment Fund, which provides students with opportunities to broaden their horizons through overseas exchanges. Dr. David Ho was conferred the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, by the University in 2021 in recognition of his remarkable achievements and distinguished contributions to society.

The Foundation would like to convey its heartfelt condolences to the Ho family at this time of their bereavement. He will always be remembered for his exceptional contributions to the University, Hong Kong and the Nation at large.