James B. Kho

Dr. James B. Kho (Kho Jauw Bie), 87, of Carmel passed away Saturday, May 16, 2020.  “Opa”, as he was lovingly known for the last 24 years of his life, was born in Indonesia on December 23, 1932.  The youngest of nine children, he graduated from the University of Indonesia and married the love of his life, Hilda “Oma”, in 1960.  After medical school, Opa was assigned to the Indonesian island of Ambon, where he was the sole physician.  He would use the island’s only car to travel from village to village providing medical services to an area of over 300 square miles.  He often used his own funds to obtain medicine that was not otherwise available to his patients and was often paid with bartered goods such as chickens, eggs, or other services.

In 1971 Opa bravely moved his wife and two young children to the United States with the encouragement and support of his sister and brother-in-law, Drs. Elly Tan and Seng Tan.  Opa completed an internship in New Jersey and a pathology residency on Long Island.  He then moved to Terre Haute in 1976, where he was a partner at Terre Haute Medical Laboratories.  Never forgetting the support they received from their own families, Opa and Oma took in several of their nieces and nephews, allowing them to obtain college educations in the United States.  Opa practiced medicine for over 20 years in Terre Haute.  He and Oma moved to Carmel to be closer to family in 1999 after he retired.

Opa had a strong faith in God.  He was a loving husband, a wonderful father, and a caring grandfather who led by example.  His family will greatly miss him. Opa is survived by his children, David (wife, Sophia Hsu-Kho) Kho and Jennie (husband, Ryan Duffin) Kho-Duffin; grandchildren, Matthew and Jacqueline Kho, and Andrew, Caroline and Benjamin Duffin.  A private family service was held on May 19, 2020.