Donald Tao Chen 陳度 died on December 10, 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan after a brief illness. He was born at a chaotic time of wars and rebellions in China in the early 1920's. Hence, official records show his birth year was 1925 although he believed that he was born in 1923.
He was physically strong, energetic and excelled in physically demanding roles. Handsome, gregarious, and generous, he made friends with ease even into late life. He spoke multiple Chinese dialects, was a very good athlete, creative, entrepreneurial, and always lived in the moment. In his youth, he would rent a boat to accompany him so he could swim to the next town, eat a meal, and then ride back home.
Donald left China in 1949 and settled in northern Taiwan initially, later moved and settled in rural southeast coast of Taiwan, where he and his wife, Jane Han Teng Chen 鄧翰珍 made a life as high school teachers and parents to five daughters for 20 years The family emigrated to the U.S. in early 1971 under sponsorship by one of his high school friends who had left China for the U.S. in the 1940's.
In the U.S., Donald put aside his pride and went to work as a waiter at the China Pearl the day after the family deplaned, and then for more than 20 years. He proudly talked about being able to repay borrowed funds for the family's plane tickets from Taipei to Boston in only one month of work in the U.S. Afer leaving China Pearl, he owned a couple of small restaurants before retirement.
Donald never felt fully at home in the U.S., and lived in Taiwan for the past decade. In his final years, with the help of a caregiver, he continued to take public transportation, could still partake in his favorite street foods, and explored local festivals. Ironically, the food he missed the most while in Taiwan was an American steak!
The Burial service will be held at Mt Benedict on January 19, 2024 at 10:30 am for families and close friends.
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