What happened at Tervo’s

After a couple days’ closure without signage or explanation, the sign shown below is now on the door @ Tervo’s Mini-Mart (4415 Fauntleroy). Several people e-mailed us after seeing police, fire, and medical examiner vehicles thereÃ‚ on Labor Day afternoon, worried there had been a crime of some sort. Today we found out what happened: Police say a 48-year-old man died in the store, apparently suicide. Our condolences to that man’s family; it’s always important to mention that the Seattle Crisis Clinic has a 24-hour suicide-prevention line at 461-3222.

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Jen V. September 6, 2007 (1:16 pm)

Oh no!! I live right by there and we go there frequently. We just assumed they were on vacation this week. How awful.

thee September 6, 2007 (1:31 pm)

i sincerely hope that it was not the propriator, mr. chong.

Katherine September 6, 2007 (1:35 pm)

Why would somebody go to a mini-mart to commit suicide? Hoping somebody would stop him, maybe?

Jan September 6, 2007 (1:58 pm)

Katherine…not knowing the circumstance leads one to speculation. I guess my first thought was that it was a family member…

mrwillow September 6, 2007 (4:34 pm)

As an historical note, Tervos was in the Junction (Now Good Grains, or something else), for years before I was born. It existed from prior 1955, to ? They could not afford the new rent, and moved. Always missed them when they moved.

AND, yes, there was a man named Tervo. I do not know if it was first or last, but he and his wife were very nice people.

They were the first people to sell “Ifrared chicken”, in West Seattle, and it was absolutely the best smell while waiting for the bus.

Safeway, Costco, and anyone else, cannot even bring those smells back. Taste, I don’t know about, we couldn’t afford it.

Bye, and I hope you have tasted it.

CandrewB September 6, 2007 (6:16 pm)

I stopped by there today and saw it was locked up.

I didn’t know his name, but I assumed the middle-aged Asian man that was always there was the owner.

I hope it wasn’t him; he seemed a pretty good guy.

WSB September 10, 2007 (11:17 pm)

For anyone checking back on this, we’re probably not going to post a separate main-page note, but the King County deaths list for tomorrow’s P-I has a 48-year-old man with the same name as Tervo’s owner, Chong Hwa, so looks like it was him.

Jen V. September 12, 2007 (6:11 am)

so incredibly sad. we went in there all the time and the owner was always so nice. our thoughts go out to his family.

Rebecca B. September 15, 2007 (5:32 pm)

My condolensces to the Hwa family. I live nearby and would go to their store quite frequently as I would much rather support their small, family owned business rather than the local 7-11, and because they were always so kind. I would often take my dog with me, tie him up outside and Mr. Hwa would always ask how “doggie” was doing. He was such a sweet man and I am so deeply saddened by this news. My heart goes out to his wife and 2 young girls. I think that tomorrow I will put some flowers in front of the store & if anyone else would like to join me, it might be a nice gesture to the family that we are thinking of them.

Sorry, comment time is over.