Cecilia Sai-Lan Maben

Cecilia was born in January 1932 in Shanghai, China, to parents Hsien-Ta and Wai-Chi Hsu, the 2nd of 5 children. When her parents left for Hong Kong to work due to the Japanese invasion, she and her siblings were sent to be raised by her grandparents and aunt during her elementary years, in Suzhou for 2 years, and then in Shanghai for 7 years. However, after the Japanese were defeated and the Communist party took over China, the entire family fled to Hong Kong during her middle school years. After she finished her high school education there in 1951, she attended college in Taichung, Taiwan at National Chong Hsing University, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 1955. She then was awarded a scholarship opportunity to move to the United States in 1959 to study biochemistry at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, and earned her Master of Science in degree in 1961. It was there, during a summer research program, that she met the love of her life, Sam, who was attending medical school. Cecilia started graduate studies at Cornell University in 1962, but after one semester there, decided to return to Arkansas to be with Sam. They married in June of 1963.

Sam’s internal medicine residency training took them to Kansas City in 1965, where Sam built a medical practice at the Raytown Clinic. Cecilia raised their 3 children, and was very involved in the community, including helping her kids in Scouting. She also worked full-time for many years as a lab technician in an academic lab doing spinal cord research at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Kansas City. She later worked in a quality control lab for several years until her retirement.

Cecilia was a loving wife and a wonderful mother and grandmother. Her passion was always caring for family. She was the first in her family to move to the U.S., and helped to bring her parents and other family members over as well. She was pivotal in raising her grandchildren in their infant years, and after Sam retired, they moved to Austin, TX in 2006 to be close to their grandchildren and settle in a warmer climate.

She loved to share her Chinese culture and heritage, and was an active member and leader in the Greater Chinese Club of Kansas City for many years. She was an amazing cook, and enjoyed creating elaborate Chinese banquet dinners and mahjong parties for friends. She loved to garden and care for houseplants, and collecting intricately crafted miniature objects. Cecilia’s passions included ballroom dancing, and she and Sam joined in many community dances. She loved to travel, from epic road trips all over the United States and to visit family in California, to going abroad and taking cruises, and she especially loved visiting natural parks.

Cecilia is preceded in death by her husband Sam Edward Maben in 2021. She is survived by her son Robert Maben M.D. (wife Sandia, son Alex), son Paul Maben-Electrical Engineer (wife Alexia, daughters Tabitha and Diana), and daughter Sue Shieh M.D. (husband James, daughter Rylie, son Zane).

A small graveside service will be held Saturday, September 28, at 2:00, at the Austin Memorial Cemetery.