Chi Him Chiu, 90 years old, passed away on April 9, 2020, in Northampton, MA. He is survived by his children, Daniel Dee and Deborah Dee and their respective spouses, Angela Dee and Ian Brinkley, and his grandchildren, Amanda Dee and Anthony Dee.
He was born on June 26, 1929, in Kuching, Malaysia. Those who met and knew him recognized he was a special man. In him, many people found true friendship, wisdom, sincerity and loyalty.
His enthusiasm for life was remarkable, that even now in his absence, his presence can still be felt by his family and friends. He never tired of life and used every last second to its fullest spending every waking moment improving his mind, body and spirit. In his lifetime, he was teacher, author, philosopher, entrepreneur, financial wiz, father, husband, and loyal friend. In his writings, he found the legacy that brought meaning to his life. In his children, he found his hopes and dreams fulfilled.
He married Fe T. Dee, our beloved mother, truly a woman with a heart of gold, and welcomed 2 beautiful children, Daniel and Deborah Dee, whom he loved fiercely, and with unending toil worked to create a bright future for them.
In a life that spanned almost a century, he went through World War II, the Japanese wartime occupation, Martial Law in the Philippines and wrote of the local impact of these sweeping historical events as seen through his eyes. Stories that made dinner time with family so lively -- stories such as finally meeting his youngest brother in Singapore after being separated from birth for 60 years due to WWII!
As a writer, he wrote many of his books in his golden years and has at least fifteen books that we like to think in some way touched the lives of those who bought and read them. He was well-traveled and moved more than twenty times from Asia to the Americas. He loved politics, history and problem-solving and was an avid reader reading volumes of Eastern and Western literary and philosophical works. More recently, he read through works by Plato, Rousseau, Montaigne within a couple of months! The breadth and depth of his knowledge on these topics often amazed those who met and knew him. On the home front, he loved gardening and pets and they thrived under his care. He was also an excellent cook and loved cooking for family. Every meal would have at least four tasty dishes. He was a math wiz and enjoyed economics and helped his children make smart financial decisions. He was the beloved teacher of his students who kept in touch with him through the years and now miss him. Most of all, he was our beloved father, who taught us so many valuable life lessons, chief of which are honesty and fortitude.
How seemingly simple yet so precious those moments with our father are, if only there could be more. Rest in peace, Pa and Grandpa, you are in our hearts forever.
Memorial service will be announced shortly.