Kethen W. So, a longtime pharmacy leader at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and past president of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP), died Feb. 10 at age 56 years.
His legacy includes nearly 30 years of service to the UCSF pharmacy program and more than two decades of involvement with ASHP, culminating in his recognition as an ASHP fellow last year.
So’s service to ASHP includes appointments to the ASHP Commission on Affiliate Relations, the Committee on Nominations, and advisory groups on informatics, quality, and business development. He was a 2018 graduate of the ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Leadership Academy.
“Through his work with ASHP’s Committee on Nominations and other advisory bodies, Kethen helped provide guidance to ASHP on a broad range of issues,” said ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz. “Kethen was a vibrant and thoughtful leader and a friendly and engaging colleague. His death is a profound loss to the pharmacy community in California and nationally.”
So came to UCSF in 1991 as a PharmD student and went on to complete residencies in pharmacy practice and pharmacy administration. He joined the pharmacy department in 1997 as a clinical pharmacist in the bone marrow transplant service.
In 2000, So accepted a pharmacy manager position at Children’s Hospital Oakland. He returned to UCSF in 2002 as senior pharmacist supervisor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Services, where he managed UCSF Medical Center’s unit dose operations and oversaw a 90-person pharmacy team.
So remained with the university system until his retirement in 2024, holding a variety of leadership positions at UCSF’s Parnassus and Mt. Zion pharmacy locations. He maintained academic appointments with the UCSF School of Pharmacy for more than 25 years and was named a full clinical professor of pharmacy in 2023.
In the university’s tribute to So, UCSF pharmacy dean Kathy Giacomini described him as “an incredible force in our pharmacy community” with an infectious passion for pharmacy and an eagerness to share his wisdom with new generations of pharmacists.
“His legacy will continue to inspire us all,” Giacomini stated.
Before and after retiring, So remained active in the university community, serving as board member and vice president of the UCSF Pharmacy Alumni Association.
According to an obituary released by his family, Kethen W. So was born Jan. 15, 1969, in Hong Kong, to Cheong So and Pui Lin Cheung. So emigrated to California in 1987 in his late teens and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkely (1991), a PharmD degree from UCSF (1995), and an MBA from New England College (2020).
So was a gifted swimmer in his youth and had a passion for golf, sports cars, pastries, cooking, and his family. His survivors include his parents, Cheong and Pui Lin; Kemi, his wife of 36 years; children Kelsey and Kyle; sister Anita; and brother Kin.
The family suggested that those who wish to make a charitable donation in So’s name consider contributing to the CSHP Kethen So Memorial Scholarship.
