This is Jin-Shi Chen, Allen/Kathy's neighbor in Holmdel and Xi-Hu, Taiwan. I have heard about Allen and Kathy for a long time.  Allen and I became acquainted about 6 years ago as Kevin Young and I were trying to explore opportunities to utilize his vast knowledge and experience in the emerging 5G cellular technology.

Allen grew up in a primitive rural farming area, about 3 miles from my village. Allen was 12 years to my senior, growing up during the end of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. My youth life was arduous due to lack of materials and low standard of living. I can only imagine how much more difficult his youth had been than mine. Living in the village at that time, attending school was usually very much downplayed as basic survival took priority. Many kids would be forced to work in the field or go to cities to apprantice for living after the elementary school.  But yet, Allen got admitted to the best junior and senior school in our county.  He constantly helped do field work very early in the morning and then ran to the station to catch the bus to the school.  

He chose to enter the National Taiwan Normal University because no tuition was needed.  Together with his graduate study in the US, obtaining a PhD degree in electrical engineering, the most popular pursuit of our time, working for the prestigious Bell Labs and founding his telecommunications company and real estate business, I wonder how many firsts that Allen had achieved for his villagers.

Allen truly was remarkable, a down-to-earth industrious, resilient, and beautiful human being.  I will miss him dearly.