Shushian Liu

1912 - 2008

Shushian Liu, a retired professor and a former delegate of National Assembly of the Republic of China, passed away Thursday, July 17, 2008. He was 96.
Service: 10 a.m. Sunday in the Drawing Room of Thompson's Harveson and Cole Funeral Home. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Professor Liu left his hometown in Dongbei (Northeast) China after the Japanese Army occupied Manchuria in 1931. He began his lifelong career in education at Beijing Normal University. The university was later moved to Shanxi, China, to avoid persecution by the Japanese Army.
Right after receiving his degree in Chinese literature, he started teaching at Dongbei High School, which was for young Dongbei students in Sichuan Province. He later served at the Department of Education of Ningxia Province and also as the acting principal at Ningxia High School.
Professor Liu returned home after the Japanese surrender in 1945. He was hired as dean of students and professor of Chinese literature at Changbai Teachers College in Jilin, China. However, the peace was short-lived because of the civil war between the Nationalist government and the Communist army. Professor Liu, who was strongly against Communism, had to leave his homeland again, but this time with his growing family and many of his fellow faculty members and students of Changbai Teachers College.
He and his family finally settled in Taiwan after almost 2 1/2 years and more than 3,000 miles of travel. Professor Liu served as principal of Chaozhou High School and later at Gongshan High School in southern Taiwan from 1950 to 1956. Because of his love for teaching and Chinese literature, he returned to teaching at the Army Academy in Fongshan for nine years. Later he moved to National Zhengzhi University in Taipei and taught there for 17 years until his retirement in 1982. He also held multiple administration positions at the university, including Chinese Literature Department chair, dean of students, and dean of Evening College.
Professor Liu enjoyed writing classical Chinese poetry and taught this subject at the university level for many years. His enthusiasm inspired many young students to appreciate the beauty of classical poetry. However, his legacy is not limited to teaching Chinese literature; his dedication to the pursuit of education left an indelible mark in his students' lives.
Survivors: Professor Liu is survived by Yuling, his beloved wife of 80 years; children, Tina Chang and her husband, David; Agnes Mao and her husband, David; Herman Liu and his wife, Bonnie; Jerry Liu and his wife, Rose; Nancy Lai and her husband, Peter; Pei Shih Liu and his wife, Echo; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and an extended family of nephews and nieces.