Watson H. Chang's Obituary
Watson CHANG passed away peacefully at the age of 94 in Milpitas, California, USA, on the morning of November 30th, 2012 (lunar equivalent of October 17, 2012), surrounded by his beloved wife, sons, daughter and grandchildren. His birthday was on June 13, 1918 as indicated on his official record. However, he claimed to be born in the year of ram which should have been 1919. His birthday was based on the lunar calendar, which should have been July 10, 1919. He was born in Shangyu City, Shaoxing District, Zhejiang Province, China. Even though he only received three years of formal education, he spent his life studying on his own. He also worked very hard to support his family. He had always been encouraging to his sons and daughter to pursue further education abroad. All his children graduated from university and held professional jobs. He considered this as one of his ultimate achievements in his life career.His father passed away when he was three years old, while his mother passed away in the early 1980s. He was predeceased by his elder sister. He went to Shanghai at the age of thirteen and started an apprenticeship as a tailor shortly after he arrived. He left Shanghai in 1950 for Hong Kong. He owned a tailor shop in Hong Kong for twenty years. He left Hong Kong in late 1970s, for Canada as immigrants with his wife and the youngest son under the sponsorship of his eldest son and became Canadian Citizen. Due to the cold weather condition, he decided to immigrate to the United States to join his other children soon after he obtained his Canadian Citizenship in early 1980s after retiring from his trade. He was a tailor for over fifty years. He obtained his United States Citizenship in late 1980s.He taught Tai Chi for some time while residing in a senior center in Milpitas, California. His favorite proverb in Chinese was:ä¸Ã¦±'é»Æ?éâ?¡'Ã¥¯Å? Seeking Not for Financial Wealthä½â? æ±'åå«Ã¨³¢ But Demanding Descendents to Be Virtuous He is survived by the following immediate family members:Name of Immediate Family Member Relation to Watson Chang Siang Wife Alan and Christine Son and Daughter-in-lawFiona GranddaughterRoanna GranddaughterIrene Granddaughter Paul and Kitty Son and Daughter-in-lawEric GrandsonNathan Grandson Jackson and Janet Son and Daughter-in-lawJoshia GranddaughterJessica Granddaughter Nancy and Kwok Cheung Daughter and Son-in-lawMarcie Cheung GranddaughterTracie Cheung GranddaughterKelcey Cheung Grandson Benny SonTiffany GranddaughterAdrian Grandson A private memorial service by immediate family members will be held on December 12th, 2012 in Skylawn Memorial Park. In lieu of sending flowers, donations are to be sent to:Tzu Chi Foundation, 2355 Oakland Road, San Jose, CA 95131. You can also donate online at: www.tcnw.org. Or you can contact donation hotlines in the San Francisco Bay Area: San Jose/South Bay: (408) 457-6964, San Francisco: (415) 682-0566, Oakland: (510) 879-0971. Donations made in the U.S. are tax deductible. Tzu Chi's Tax ID number is 94-2952782. For more information please call: (408) 457-6969.
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