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ROBERT CHIN: Cheery Morning Greeting

 

When Suk Tan Chin posted an inquiry about her youngest brother, Robert, on the Web site of Fiduciary Trust, one reply in particular touched her heart. A woman said the two had not known each other, but from the photograph she recognized the young man who had passed by her daily, with an open smile and a ringing "Good morning!" Robert Chin, a Xerox employee who worked at Fiduciary, was a sweet man - enthusiastic, helpful, a touch naïve. He didn't need a lot to be satisfied. At 33 and single, he lived in Brooklyn with his parents, Chinese immigrants whom he supported. He was devoted to them, and to baseball.

"Robert loved playing outfield," his sister recalled, "because to him that was freedom." And he had another great passion: karaoke. He was a weekend regular at the Point After, a Brooklyn sports bar that features the sing-alongs. Mr. Chin was an admirer of Billy Joel and the Police; he loved belting out Neil Diamond's "America." For the last few Saturday nights, said his buddy of 20 years, Billy Tsevdos, friends have been holding candlelight vigils for Mr. Chin outside the bar. "Then we go inside and sing," he said.

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From "Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times; Picture from CNN