George Ching-Chiang Chen

1943 - 2024

George Ching-Chiang Chen
10/04/1943 - 05/09/2024
George Chen passed away peacefully on May 9, 2024 after a long and brave battle with cancer. He was 80 years old.
Ching-Chiang Chen was born in Tainan, Taiwan on October 4, 1943, the youngest of 5 children. His parents were Chen Shou-Tou, and Chern Fren-Tuey. He was pre-deceased by his Domestic Partner, Dennis Billingsley, his sisters Grace H Hsu and Chen Guinian. He is survived by his long-time friend, Paul Woolley, his two brothers, James Chen of North Carolina, and Kinbo Chen of Palo Alto, CA, and numerous nieces and nephews.
After graduating from Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan, George immigrated to America in 1972 to study engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago. There he earned his Master's Degree in Engineering in 1974. He became a naturalized US citizen on Feb. 23, 1983. He held engineering positions at Harza Engineering, Bechtel Engineering, and Lockheed Missile and Space. He ended his career as engineer for 12 years at California Transportation Authority in Oakland, CA until his retirement in 2011.
George was an outgoing, friendly personality. It can be said that he never met a stranger. Whether at his gym – the Embarcadero YMCA, in his San Francisco neighborhood of St. Mary's Park, walking along San Francisco's Ocean Beach, or on long bus tours at home or abroad he spoke to everyone he met. People liked him. He loved to tell the story of the community of young Taiwanese students in Chicago who frequently gathered on Saturday evenings at his apartment to share Taiwanese food. He was undoubtedly the glue that held that community together.
He will be dearly missed by those of us who knew and loved him. A celebration of life will be held for family and close friends at a future date and place to be announced.