Yaokun Zhong

1940 – 2025

Our father, Zhong Yaokun, passed away peacefully on October 20, 2025, at the age of 85.

Born in Xinning, China, he was one of seven children. Though his family was not wealthy, he learned early the value of hard work and perseverance — qualities that defined his entire life.

In 1959, he was admitted to the prestigious Peking University, where he later joined the faculty after graduation. During his years there, he contributed to several mission-critical research projects. One of his most notable achievements was helping to digitalize Chinese characters, a major breakthrough that allowed the Chinese logographic writing system to be processed by computers. He dedicated countless hours and made numerous business trips, including to Japan, to help bring that pioneering project to fruition.

In 1988, he came to the United States as a visiting scholar to study artificial intelligence — a fact that still amazes us today, knowing he was studying AI more than 35 years ago. He later worked for various technology companies, both large and small, until his retirement at age 70. In every workplace, he was known as the one who arrived earliest and left latest, always giving his full heart to everything he did.

After retirement, he and Auntie Luo traveled the world together, sharing many wonderful adventures.

In his later years, our father faced health challenges with courage and discipline, battling diabetes and Parkinson’s disease as if they were new projects to solve. He faced every obstacle with determination and grace, but eventually, his body grew too tired to continue the fight.

We want to sincerely thank Auntie Luo for her companionship and loving care throughout his later years, and all the friends who offered him kindness, friendship, and support.

We will miss him every day, but his spirit, courage, and love will stay with us always.