In Memory Of
Li Chohlih
Hao Jingwen
Choh-Lih (Cheuk Lap) Li, 92, passed away at 2:38pm on December 24, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. He was born on January 4, 1924 in Canton (now Guangzhou), China, and graduated with a B.S. degree in economics from China's National Central University of Nanking in 1948.
He had a difficult life in his early years before he immigrated to the U.S. in 1986. As an American Chinese, he loved China by birth and the United States by choice. His love for his native China was not without sacrifices.
In the fall of 1949, he had turned down the offer of admission accompanied by a rare scholarship to the prestigious London School of Economics. He, thereby, surrendered a very desirable advanced academic opportunity, and dedicated himself, instead, to help build a new China, the People's Republic of China.
In 1957, along with many Chinese intellectuals, he was criticized and framed as one of the rightists during "the anti-rightist movement". For more than two decades (from 1957 to 1979) he had to endure harsh labor in the countryside and suffered many social and political humiliations.
In late 1979 Mr. Li was able to move to Hong Kong and worked as a research consultant for Hong Kong TVB Corporation until he and his family immigrated to live in Berkeley, California. Even after having had such twists and turns in a tough life, his devotion to his native land and modern economics never diminished.
While he was not able to apply his professional knowledge to help his native land in the beginning, he did his best once the opportunity arrived. He was among the pioneers to introduce western economic thinking and market concepts to readers in China.
He authored several books in econometrics, and economics decision making/modeling and forecasting. He also translated books in economic system at a time when China just opened its door to the world in early 1980s.
Mr. Li was fortunate, indeed, to have had a wonderful wife, a loving and courageous soul mate, who had always stood by him throughout the ups and downs in life until she passed away two years ago.
He never wavered in his commitment to help his Motherland, to his profession as an economist, and to his family. He was very proud of being a member of the "Li Rong Yin Tang" (李荣荫堂), the ancestral name for his Li Family lineage as coined by his Father, which had produced many distinguished and productive contributors to our society.
He remained very open-minded in his thinking and had an insatiable love of learning. Being fluent in both Chinese & English, he continued to read up on history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and poetry. To be able to spend time reading and doing research in a library were always a great joy.
He also enjoyed the challenges of chess, the game of "Go", the card game of "Bridge" and the game of billiard, which also tested his manual dexterity! To the very end he always displayed loving kindness, patience, and consideration with a perpetual smile. With the very last breath of his great life, he waved warmly to the people in his room and said: "Bye"!
His beloved daughter, Xin Li, who had been taking meticulous, loving care of both of her sick parents for the last four years, survives Mr. Li. Her love and filial devotion had moved everyone. Yes, he had left us, but his spirit will be with us forever.
Jingwen Hao, 88, passed away at 12:29 pm on August 25, 2014 at Valley House Rehabilitation Center, Santa Clara, California. She was born on July 13, 1926 in Beijing, China and graduated with a college degree in Tianjin, China. She had a successful career in education as a high school teacher for more than 30 years.
In 1986, Jingwen Hao and her family immigrated to Berkeley, California. She became a devoted and delightful volunteer for and an active member of the Berkeley Senior Center and shared her extraordinary talents in painting, calligraphy, craft art, poetry, piano, and taiji quan.
Her love of dance and music filled her with endless strength throughout her life and she wanted her funeral and memory to be the same. She wished for the music of dance to accompany her to rest in peace and for people to overcome any sadness to celebrate her joyful life with happiness.
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