Yau Teh Wei

Yau Teh Wei, 87 passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, February 8, 2024 in Houston, Texas. He will be welcomed to the spiritual world by his parents and three of his four siblings. Yau Teh loved his mother deeply. Although she suffered greatly, he cared and comforted her during her brief battle with cancer until her passing at age 46.

Yau Teh Wei was born in Changhua Taiwan in 1936. He loved to tell stories about raising goats, catching frogs and growing up in WWII Taiwan under Japanese occupation. He and Shu Mei Lin met in Changhua when they were teenagers, started dating in high school, and were married in 1961.

Throughout his life, Yau Teh valued studies and learning, and enjoyed many different types of activities from running and javelin throwing to drawing. He studied civil engineering at National Cheng Kung University and graduated at the top of his class. After serving in the marines and working at Taiwan Power Company for two years, he joined his best friends, Paul and Mike in Fargo, North Dakota where he pursued a masters degree at North Dakota State University. He then worked for the highway department in North Dakota and eventually saved up enough money for Shu Mei and their children, Peter and Susan to join him. The first year in their trailer home in North Dakota was a special year of being reunited and enjoying the snow and the cold weather. Yau Teh moved to Houston, Texas in 1967, obtained a doctorate degree in Engineering Mechanics from Rice University and chose to make Houston his home for the rest of his life. He worked at Exxon for over 20 years, in both Research and Exploration. He especially enjoyed his time working in Exploration, during which he traveled all over the world including to Japan, Argentina, Newfoundland, and Honduras. While the work and being away from home were difficult, he enjoyed the challenge and excitement of working on the frontier of oil discovery, and the friends he made on the rigs. After retiring from Exxon, Yau Teh enjoyed traveling, returning to art and spending time with family. He spent long hours working on his own paintings in watercolor and oil, and taught painting classes at the Chinese Community Center for 20 years. He and Shu Mei enjoyed many travels with friends and family to Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, Australia and New Zealand. Very active at Formosan Presbyterian Church, he served as an elder and a deacon and taught Sunday school. Yau Teh never forgot his homeland and was passionate about Taiwan, watching the politics and even traveling back for elections. To those that knew him later in life he was a mentor, and a steadfast comforting presence.

Yau Teh is survived by his wife Shu Mei; his children Peter (Janet), Susan, and Andy (Christine); his grandchildren Jonathan, Joshua, Travis (Prudence), Anna, Mia, and Alex; his younger sister Shu Tzuan (Tun Hou); as well as many nephews and nieces.

The family would like to thank doctors Shi-Tze Lu, Shilpan Shah, John Buergler, Amish Dave, their medical teams and Methodist Hospital for their excellent and compassionate care.

A memorial service to celebrate Yau Teh Wei’s life will be held at Formosan Presbyterian Church at 2401 South Dairy Ashford Road, Houston, Texas 77077, on Saturday February 17, 2024 at 2PM.