Obituary for Teh-An Dean Cheng
Teh-An (Dean) Cheng
Dean Teh-An Cheng, 93, passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 16, 2020. Dean was born on February 20, 1927 (on the 10th day of the 2nd lunar month) in Hunan, China. He truly lived a full, blessed life.
Dean attended Mingda Primary School Shanghai Garden Branch; his teacher was his grandfather, Jianqui Cheng. He attended Chunyuan Middle School, which was jointly run by both the Cheng Family and Jiang Family. He completed his education at National Central Technical School. In 1948 he began his work as a technical assistant (military rank: warrant officer) at the Shanghai National Defense Medical College- Medical Equipment Laboratory. In 1949 Dean moved to Taipei, Taiwan where he continued to work for the National Defense Medical College (the school had moved there as part of the KMT exodus from China). Dean worked there until 1960 when he left with a military rank of Captain. In 1961-1966 he worked as an engineer for a private hydropower engineering company in Taiwan. In 1966-1968 he worked on public engineering projects for U.S. Agency for International Development headquarters in Saigon, Vietnam. His wife and toddler daughter joined him in Vietnam until it became too dangerous to live there. Dean returned to Taiwan and worked for China Technical Service Agency from 1969-1971.
Dean moved to Guam in 1971 to manage a hydropower engineering company and moved his family there in 1973. His children attended Cathedral Grade School, while his wife opened a small Chinese restaurant, called the Mini Cafe. The family settled in Houston in August 1978 and Dean became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1981. His work with Ret-Ser Engineering Agency from 1978-1983 took him to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where his employer helped prepare naval military port facilities. Dean also worked for an electronics factory in Kaoshiung, Taiwan in 1984. In 1986-1988 Dean was hired by the Taiwan Retired Officers and Soldiers Employment Guidance Association and was dispatched to the Middle East. They built the Gulf University in Bahrain and the Bahrain Air Force Base Project. In 1991-1998 Dean was rehired by Hung Ching Construction Co., Ltd. as chief engineer and was in charge of the A.S.E. Center Construction Project in Taipei, Taiwan. From 2004-2008, he was a consultant for the company’s Shanghai branch. Dean received a heart pacemaker in 2008 and finally retired at the age of 81 after he suffered a stroke. Dean recovered from the stroke and was in relatively good health. He lived with son Andrew, who was his primary caretaker for the last 12 years.
Dean did not pass his college entrance exam but succeeded in putting all three children through college, and he was extremely proud when youngest son Danny graduated from medical school. He was blessed with two grandsons and two granddaughters, whom he doted on. Dean remained close to his younger siblings and always felt responsible for taking care of the Cheng Family. Dean’s hobbies included writing letters, traveling, collecting stamps and coins, reading, Chinese calligraphy, and scrapbooking even before that became a thing. Dean also kept a diary and even wrote an unpublished autobiography. He wrote beautifully in both English and traditional Chinese.
Dean was preceded in death by his father, Songnian Cheng (who was only 36 years old) and mother, Lanqing Jiang; his wife Sophie Mei Jen Cheng on September 6, 2004, and his sister Shiyi Cheng on April 17, 2016.
Dean is survived by his daughter Alice Cheng Lee and son-in-law Mark Lee, son Andrew Cheng, son Danny Cheng, M.D. and daughter-in-law Catherine Cao; grandchildren Eric Michael Lee, Katherine Chia-Yu Lee, Zoe Sophia Cheng, and Parker Tristan Cheng; nephew Dingming Hu and his wife Wangyi and family in Seattle, WA; his younger brother, younger sister and many extended family members in China, Taiwan and U.S. Our gratitude to Dean’s friend Michelle Lee in Taipei for recently mailing hundreds of masks to keep him safe during the pandemic. And we thank his colleagues and friends for their lifelong friendships.
Visitation will be on Saturday, September 26 at 2 pm at Winford Funeral Home, 8514 Tybor. Service will be at 3 pm. In-person visits will be limited and friends are encouraged to view the live stream version. Dean’s final wish was to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean, which connects him from his birthplace in China to America, land of the free.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dean’s memory may be made to the Chinese Community Center, 9800 Town Park Drive, Houston, TX 77036.
成特盦大事記
出生：1927年農曆二月初十日
小學：啟蒙於尚實圃明達小學分校，老師為祖父成鑑秋公。
南京務本小學（回教教會所辦）
金鸞蓬小學（市立，讀三、四年級）
明達小學（成氏族辦，畢業）
中學：春元初中（成氏與蔣氏合辦）
國立中央技術科（高職）在重慶畢業
大學：沒有考上
工作：1948年，進入上海國防醫學院衛生裝備試驗所任技佐，官階准尉（起碼官）
1949年，隨校遷移至臺灣省台北市水源地
1960年，自請除役，官階上尉
1961年起為私人水電工程公司工作
1966年-1968年底，在越南西貢（胡志明市）美援總署越南分署作公共工程
1969年，回台北中國技術服務社工作
1971年，被派至美屬關島任一水電工程公司經理
1973年，接全家大小移居關島
1975年，全家取得綠卡，可永久居留關島
1978年，被聘用公司搬遷至美國得克薩斯州休士頓市工作
1981年，取得入籍美國
1978 – 1983年，被聘用公司派至沙特阿拉伯吉達市為該國籌建海軍軍港設施
1984年，在台灣高雄市為聘用公司籌建半導體電子公司廠房，於開始試車之次日即辭職回美國
1986年，受台灣退除役官兵就業輔導會之聘去中東巴林籌建海灣大學工程，其後又籌建巴林空軍基地工程至1988年年底返回台北，隨即回美長住
1991年，被原聘用公司再回聘去台灣台北市主持日月光中心建設工程，至1998年聖誕節前返美。
2004年，原聘用公司邀去上海該公司分公司擔任顧問至2008年聖誕節前返美
2008年至今，為全職退休居家
Dean Teh-An Cheng, 93, passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 16, 2020. Dean was born on February 20, 1927 (on the 10th day of the 2nd lunar month) in Hunan, China. He truly lived a full, blessed life.
Dean attended Mingda Primary School Shanghai Garden Branch; his teacher was his grandfather, Jianqui Cheng. He attended Chunyuan Middle School, which was jointly run by both the Cheng Family and Jiang Family. He completed his education at National Central Technical School. In 1948 he began his work as a technical assistant (military rank: warrant officer) at the Shanghai National Defense Medical College- Medical Equipment Laboratory. In 1949 Dean moved to Taipei, Taiwan where he continued to work for the National Defense Medical College (the school had moved there as part of the KMT exodus from China). Dean worked there until 1960 when he left with a military rank of Captain. In 1961-1966 he worked as an engineer for a private hydropower engineering company in Taiwan. In 1966-1968 he worked on public engineering projects for U.S. Agency for International Development headquarters in Saigon, Vietnam. His wife and toddler daughter joined him in Vietnam until it became too dangerous to live there. Dean returned to Taiwan and worked for China Technical Service Agency from 1969-1971.
Dean moved to Guam in 1971 to manage a hydropower engineering company and moved his family there in 1973. His children attended Cathedral Grade School, while his wife opened a small Chinese restaurant, called the Mini Cafe. The family settled in Houston in August 1978 and Dean became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1981. His work with Ret-Ser Engineering Agency from 1978-1983 took him to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where his employer helped prepare naval military port facilities. Dean also worked for an electronics factory in Kaoshiung, Taiwan in 1984. In 1986-1988 Dean was hired by the Taiwan Retired Officers and Soldiers Employment Guidance Association and was dispatched to the Middle East. They built the Gulf University in Bahrain and the Bahrain Air Force Base Project. In 1991-1998 Dean was rehired by Hung Ching Construction Co., Ltd. as chief engineer and was in charge of the A.S.E. Center Construction Project in Taipei, Taiwan. From 2004-2008, he was a consultant for the company’s Shanghai branch. Dean received a heart pacemaker in 2008 and finally retired at the age of 81 after he suffered a stroke. Dean recovered from the stroke and was in relatively good health. He lived with son Andrew, who was his primary caretaker for the last 12 years.
Dean did not pass his college entrance exam but succeeded in putting all three children through college, and he was extremely proud when youngest son Danny graduated from medical school. He was blessed with two grandsons and two granddaughters, whom he doted on. Dean remained close to his younger siblings and always felt responsible for taking care of the Cheng Family. Dean’s hobbies included writing letters, traveling, collecting stamps and coins, reading, Chinese calligraphy, and scrapbooking even before that became a thing. Dean also kept a diary and even wrote an unpublished autobiography. He wrote beautifully in both English and traditional Chinese.
Dean was preceded in death by his father, Songnian Cheng (who was only 36 years old) and mother, Lanqing Jiang; his wife Sophie Mei Jen Cheng on September 6, 2004, and his sister Shiyi Cheng on April 17, 2016.
Dean is survived by his daughter Alice Cheng Lee and son-in-law Mark Lee, son Andrew Cheng, son Danny Cheng, M.D. and daughter-in-law Catherine Cao; grandchildren Eric Michael Lee, Katherine Chia-Yu Lee, Zoe Sophia Cheng, and Parker Tristan Cheng; nephew Dingming Hu and his wife Wangyi and family in Seattle, WA; his younger brother, younger sister and many extended family members in China, Taiwan and U.S. Our gratitude to Dean’s friend Michelle Lee in Taipei for recently mailing hundreds of masks to keep him safe during the pandemic. And we thank his colleagues and friends for their lifelong friendships.
Visitation will be on Saturday, September 26 at 2 pm at Winford Funeral Home, 8514 Tybor. Service will be at 3 pm. In-person visits will be limited and friends are encouraged to view the live stream version. Dean’s final wish was to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean, which connects him from his birthplace in China to America, land of the free.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dean’s memory may be made to the Chinese Community Center, 9800 Town Park Drive, Houston, TX 77036.
成特盦大事記
出生：1927年農曆二月初十日
小學：啟蒙於尚實圃明達小學分校，老師為祖父成鑑秋公。
南京務本小學（回教教會所辦）
金鸞蓬小學（市立，讀三、四年級）
明達小學（成氏族辦，畢業）
中學：春元初中（成氏與蔣氏合辦）
國立中央技術科（高職）在重慶畢業
大學：沒有考上
工作：1948年，進入上海國防醫學院衛生裝備試驗所任技佐，官階准尉（起碼官）
1949年，隨校遷移至臺灣省台北市水源地
1960年，自請除役，官階上尉
1961年起為私人水電工程公司工作
1966年-1968年底，在越南西貢（胡志明市）美援總署越南分署作公共工程
1969年，回台北中國技術服務社工作
1971年，被派至美屬關島任一水電工程公司經理
1973年，接全家大小移居關島
1975年，全家取得綠卡，可永久居留關島
1978年，被聘用公司搬遷至美國得克薩斯州休士頓市工作
1981年，取得入籍美國
1978 – 1983年，被聘用公司派至沙特阿拉伯吉達市為該國籌建海軍軍港設施
1984年，在台灣高雄市為聘用公司籌建半導體電子公司廠房，於開始試車之次日即辭職回美國
1986年，受台灣退除役官兵就業輔導會之聘去中東巴林籌建海灣大學工程，其後又籌建巴林空軍基地工程至1988年年底返回台北，隨即回美長住
1991年，被原聘用公司再回聘去台灣台北市主持日月光中心建設工程，至1998年聖誕節前返美。
2004年，原聘用公司邀去上海該公司分公司擔任顧問至2008年聖誕節前返美
2008年至今，為全職退休居家