Florence J. Chinn Loui, MD - Obituary

Published: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 22, 2017

Summary

Comprehensive obituary for Dr. Florence J. Chinn Loui, a pioneering Chinese-American female physician who overcame significant barriers to practice medicine in Hawaii for nearly six decades.

Key Biographical Information

Vital Statistics

• Full Name: Florence J. Chinn Loui, MD
• Nickname: “Popo”
• Birth: March 29, 1927, Sacramento, California
• Death: September 20, 2017, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Age at Death: 90 years
• Parents: Ned and Leong See Chinn

Education

• CK McClatchy High School, Sacramento (highest honors)
• Kui Wah Chinese Language School (valedictorian)
• Sacramento Junior College (great distinction)
• UC Berkeley (honors)
• Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (MD)
• University of Pennsylvania Hospital (Internal Medicine residency)

Medical Career Highlights

• Professor of Medicine Award (outstanding senior medical student)
• First internship year at Sacramento County Hospital (only female among 40 doctors)
• Relocated to Honolulu in 1959
• Board-certified internist
• American Cancer Society Screening Education Coordinator (“Butterfly Bus”)
• Medical Consultant, Hawaii Health and Human Services Department
• National award winner for fraud and abuse prevention program (saved Hawaii $2 million over 6 years)
• Women’s health advocate on state commissions for domestic violence prevention (1995+)
• Editor, Hawaii Medical Journal special domestic violence issue (1996)

Family

Survived By

• Sons: Michael, Warren, William, Ronald
• Grandchildren: Eight grandsons, two granddaughters
• Siblings: Sister Carolyn, brother Holland, two sisters-in-law

Predeceased By

• Son: Terry
• Brothers: Allen, Leland, Franklin, Gallant

Memorial

Dr. Florence Chinn Loui Memorial Fund established for students at John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii.

Significance

Pioneer Status

The obituary describes Florence as a “trailblazing Chinese-American physician who overcame:

• Humble beginnings
• Gender prejudice
• Cultural limitations
• Racial discrimination”

Historical Context

• Applied to medical school during an era when women faced strict quotas
• Rejected by California medical schools
• Only woman among 40 male interns
• Practiced medicine for approximately 58 years (1959-2017)
• Raised five sons independently as a single mother while maintaining full-time practice

Source Quality

Reliability: High

• Published in major Hawaii newspaper
• Contains specific dates, locations, and verifiable facts
• Lists family members by name
• Details educational and professional credentials
• Memorial fund established in her name

Corroboration

Information corroborated by:

• University of Hawaii scholarship announcement (2021)
• Professional medical directories
• Family members
• Published memorial fund

Related Sources

• Florence-Chinn-Scholarship-UH - University of Hawaii scholarship announcement
• Sacramento Bee obituary (paywall restricted)
• Dr. Florence J. Chinn Memorial Endowed Scholarship at UH

URL

https://obits.staradvertiser.com/2017/10/22/florence-j-chinn-loui-md/