Dr. Kwok Keung Chan passed away at his home in Palo Alto, California on November 4, 2005.He was 82.
Dr. Chan was born April 12, 1923 in Guangzhou, China. Raised in China, at 21 he joined China National Aviation Corp. and piloted airplanes to airlift war materials to China during World War II from 1944 to 1946. The airlifting operation was known as "Flying the Hump" for crossing over the Himalayan Mountains at 20,000 ft in a C-46 air transport. After graduating with his bachelors degree from the National Tsing Hua University in Beijing in 1947, he traveled to the United States in 1948 to pursue an advanced degree in engineering. In 1951, he earned his masters degree in aeronautical engineering and in 1955 his PhD degree in fluid mechanics both from Purdue University. He married Helen in 1950, who he knew from his hometown in China.
In 1958, Chan and Helen moved to Palo Alto to raise their family of four children while working for Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. In 1991, he retired from Lockheed after 38 years in aerospace engineering. After his retirement, he enjoyed being a world traveler, visiting every continent: Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Australia and Antarctica. He also enjoyed playing tennis with his friends and volunteering at the Chinese Community Library.
Dr. Chan is survived by his wife of 55 years, Helen; his sons Daniel and David; his daughters Emy and Evon; his four grandsons Carlo, Michael, Paolo and Cameron; his brother K.Y. Chan in China and his sister Shuit C. Chan in Canada. (Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 8, 2005).