悼陳敦厚博士
A Tom I know
At fifth grade science, I learned Atom is the building block of matter. It, quite literally, makes our universe what it is.
Outside the chemistry class, A Tom I know did the same thing.
He is the building block for his family.
He is a building block at his jobs.
He is a building block of his community.
Within his 4 orbitals, there was filled with energy and life.
And that naturally attracted and unified people like the intermolecular force of ionic bonding.
During the years of my study at U Penn, I befriended his wife, Emily, and that gave me the opportunity to witness the legends of A Tom.
Tom has many legends.
Before the food network iron chef, he was the iron chef. He once cooked for more than 100 people at his friend’s wedding banquet. He not only loved and enjoyed cooking. He was very good at it. He said anyone who could do well in the lab could certainly perform as well in the kitchen. He was certainly right about himself. It was magic that he could effortlessly transform regular dishes into amazing cuisine. Many could testify my words were true.
Before U Haul, he was I Haul. He had voluntarily helped so many pack, load, and deliver. I was one of the many beneficiaries of his kindness.
Because of lifting heavyweight of furnitures, he had suffered disc hernia several times. However, whenever his friends need a hand, he was always there to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Before Ask Amy, he was Ask Tom. He often freely shared his thoughts and philosophy of science and of life.
I found his wise words often stood the test of time.
He is such a great mentor both in learning and In life and he had made so much significant and positive impact on the people he met.
With his whole life, he lived up to his name敦厚。Gentle, virtuous, generous and kind.
As I reflected, he was exactly a person that truly found happiness in helping others.
26 years ago as I recalled, Tom drove his car racing me home on HWY 95 upon hearing my young brother’s sudden passing.
Shocked and in great despair, I was sitting quietly at the passenger seat. He turned and said to me with an unbelievably calm voice: “it is all right to cry as hard as you want to now, but you have to be strong for your parents once you step out of the car.”
Then, I wept like a child for the rest of the trip.
By the time we got to Philadelphia, I was able to compose myself and ready to attend to the unbearable sorrow of my heartbroken parents.
Tom helped keeping me straight so I could later pride myself on being unflappable even in the most chaotic circumstances.
“It is not length of life, but depth of life.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
The story of Tom may not be long, but is absolutely enchanting and unforgettable.
In his 65 years, he had shown how to engage in lives in meaningful ways instead of merely surviving it.
His way of caring for others demonstrated his love for this world without any reservations.
It is a life that adds so much value to the world we live in.
Words may be weak and failing to try to take away the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of each person whose life was touched by him.
May the Lord assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you his cherished memories that you are all proud to own.
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