Liep Hian Tjeng

Dr. Liep Hian Tjeng of Tomball, TX, died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on May 12, 2025, at the age of 88 after a short, intense battle with cancer.

Liep Hian was the son of Lok Khian Tjeng and Swie Ing Tio. He was born in Surabaya, Indonesia, on October 28, 1936. However, US legal documents recognize October 29 as his birthday. He enjoyed celebrating a three-day affair every October, commemorating his Indonesian and American birthdays along with his wedding anniversary on October 30. He was the second of five children. His brothers and sisters were Sian Nio, Liep Thong, Lien Nio, and Liep Tjiang, all who have preceded him in death except for Liep Tjiang.

Liep Hian graduated from Airlangga University in 1965 to begin his career in medicine. That same year, he married Kiem Liang So, also of Surabaya, on October 30. This year would have marked their 60th anniversary.

The 1960s in Indonesia were tumultuous times. A failed attempted coup d’etat in 1965 led to an anti-communist purge. Chinese Indonesians such as Liep Hian were caught up in the purge, suspected to have communist sympathies with mainland China. Ethnic Chinese communities were attacked and expressions of Chinese culture, such as language, art and festivals, were suppressed and banned. Ethnic Chinese were pressured to adopt Indonesian names. Because of that, Liep Hian adopted the name Teguh Setiabudi as his legal Indonesian name.

Liep Hian was the personal physician of the regional governor after graduating medical school. This helped to afford him some protection. Still, there was always a sense of unease. When his first daughter was born, the governor gave her an Indonesian name, which her parents respectfully accepted, while also giving her a Chinese name. A second daughter was born 2.5 years later, boasting 2 names as well.

Seeking freedom from persecution and a better future for his family, he immigrated to the United States in 1973. Landing in Long Island, New York, for an internship was a hard adjustment from the tropics. The following year he moved the family to Houston, Texas, for a 3-year residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Upon graduation the family moved to Jackson, Mississippi in 1977. At that time he became Chief of Staff of pain management and rehabilitation medicine at the GV Sonny Montgomery VA Hospital. The same year he was blessed with his third daughter. He would be the head of that VA department for over three decades before retiring on April 3, 2014, to move closer to his daughters in Texas.

Liep Hian led a rich life. Not only did he treat and heal the ill and the injured, but he also loved teaching others what he knew, serving as a mentor to other physicians and giving lectures on a variety of topics. He became a passionate practitioner of acupuncture in the latter part of his career. He would tell his doctor daughters and sons-in-law about all the things it could treat that could not with conventional Western medicine. He also began teaching his grandchildren different pressure points to help alleviate miscellaneous pains.

Liep Hian delighted in traveling to numerous destinations, whether they be stateside, across the border, and overseas. After first moving to the US, he would take his young family on long road trips. Staying at a Holiday Inn and eating at McDonald’s were splurges when vacationing on a young resident’s salary. Oftentimes it would be some questionable motel and tins of Vienna sausages, hard boiled eggs, and fried bananas, but oh the places they would go! He eventually traded in the low budget trips for more extravagant ones. Cruising became his favorite mode of travel. He made his final trip overseas back to Indonesia 3 months before his passing.

While these trips were a great diversion from everyday life, they often translated into more than just places to check off a list. From Florida to California to upper New York state to south Texas (to name of few), Liep Hian met a lot of great people and became their friend. The same was commonly true outside of the US, in such places as the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Many of these people became lifelong friends, some of whom came to see him in his final days.

Meanwhile, tennis and ping pong, one could argue, were Liep Hian’s greatest passions, whether to watch professional matches on TV or play it at competitive levels. He in fact medaled several times in both, earning first place multiple times, even competing in the senior Olympics. He appreciated these sports for competition’s sake. However, he also enjoyed them because they gave him an excuse to socialize. Socializing with friends old and new was what he lived for. He enjoyed attending parties as much as he did organizing them. It was his belief that socializing with others helped you stay young and live a very long life.

Liep Hian is survived by his wife Kiem Liang and three children and their spouses, Drs. Anna and Ewen Tseng; Dr. Susan Tjeng and Dr. Doan Nguyen; and Vivian Tjeng and Paulus Lukman. He also leaves behind his four grandchildren: Victoria Tseng, Katherine Tseng, Alexander Nguyen and Madeline Nguyen.

A memorial service will be held at 9:30 AM on May 31, 2025, at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church, 10135 West Rd, Houston, TX. A party in his honor will then be held at Ocean Palace, Chinese Food and Dim Sum Restaurant, 11215 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX at 12:00 PM- 3:00 PM. Flowers may be sent to Brookside Funeral Home - Cypress Creek, 9149 Hwy 6 N, Houston, TX 77095. Donations in his honor to a charity of the donor’s choice may be offered instead, taking into consideration his loves in this life: his family, the veterans he took care of, the art of medicine, and the sport of tennis.