Maria Mei Mei Chan

Maria Mei Mei Chan, 75 of Clarksville, Maryland passed away on October 11, 2024.
She was born in 1949 to proud parents Cho Yeung Chan and Ming Ying Ng in Hong Kong. After graduating at the top of her class, she moved to the United States and attended the University of Oregon, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Most importantly, she met her future husband, Daniel W. Chan, on day one of freshmen year at the University of Oregon where they started their lives together. Maria and Daniel married in 1972 and, soon thereafter, they left Oregon for upstate New York, where Maria earned her Ph.D. in immunology (major) and microbiology (minor) at the University of New York, Buffalo. Ready for their next stage in life (and perhaps to escape the blizzards), Maria and Daniel moved to Maryland where Maria completed her postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in immunogenetics. It was in Maryland where Maria and Daniel stayed and started their family with the birth of their daughter, Jacqueline.
Maria devoted her professional life to science and public health – researching, developing, and teaching to build towards scientific discoveries that would ultimately impact patient care. She served in leadership roles at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Division of Medical Genetics and Immunogenetics Laboratories), Children's National Health System (Director of Immunology and Technical Services), the George Washington University Medical Center (Associate Professor), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Division Director, Division of Immunology and Hematology Devices, CDRH) from where she retired. Her professional impact reached far beyond science and public health. The care, love, and mentorship she provided to her colleagues – who ultimately became friends – was unmatched and she has forever impacted the lives and futures of countless people.
Those who know Maria know that she was so talented at so many things (even though she was incredibly modest and would never admit the same). She was an amazing and curious chef, loving to try new recipes much to her family's and friends' delight. Since she was a child, she shone musically and artistically, playing the piano and bringing beauty to the world through many forms of art (painting, drawing, knitting, and more). Her green thumb was also known throughout with a particular love for beautifully unusual and interesting plants – most notably, orchids.
Most of all, Maria loved spending time with her family. Maria and Daniel explored cultures and foods all over the world together, and Jacqueline was so lucky to join them on many of these adventures. They made friends in new locales who would be friends for years to come, even if it would be years in between visits. One of Maria's favorite places was Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia, with all of its delicious eats including the best oysters in the world (as pictured here). Once Jacqueline had her own family, Maria, Daniel, Jacqueline, Jonathan, and all of their beloved Grant, traveled as a family unit. Since her grandson Grant was born, Maria was instantly one of Grant's special people and they spent hours together, building Legos, telling stories, playing games, and sometimes simply laughing together.
Maria is already being missed by her surivors, her loving husband of 52 years, Daniel W. Chan; daughter, Jacqueline, son-in-law, Jonathan, and grandson Grant. Maria was preceded in death by her mother, Ming Ying Ng, and father, Cho Yeung Chan.
Relatives and friends may visit Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville, P.A. on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 from 10:00-11:00 am where a Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am with interment to follow at Columbia Memorial Park.
The University of Oregon holds a special place in Maria's and Daniel's hearts and, in particular, the support they received as international students. To celebrate Maria's memory, gifts can be made to the University of Oregon Nascence and UO Hong Kong Alumni Scholarship in the International Culture Services Program in memory of Maria Mei Mei Chan here. When making a gift with this link, you will want to enter that the gift is in memory of Maria Mei Mei Chan and you will enter those details under the "My gift is a tribute" tab.
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