Cuichang Fang

Cuichang Fang (方萃长), 92, of Phoenix, AZ peacefully slept into eternity on the Memorial Day, May 31, 2021. The youngest among his siblings, Cuichang was born on September 23, 1928, in Shanghai, China, to an indigent family. This very humble beginning greatly influenced his strong resolve to improve life through education. Wasting no time, he studied very diligently in school. His English teacher gave him a new notebook and autographed on the first page: would you hold on to your diligence for the rest of your life? He surely did. At an early age, Cuichang went and visited a machinery factory where his father worked as a security guard. He was so fascinated and aspired by the machines, it prompted the factory owner to earnestly urge him to get a good education and be an engineer. In 1946, Cuichang graduated from the prestigious Shanghai High School with excellent grades. Later that year, he was accepted by more than eight top-ranking universities in China. Guided by his science teacher, he chose to attend Tsinghua University, the MIT of China. Cuichang then graduated in 1950 cum laude with a Bachelor of Science's degree in mechanical engineering and was immediately offered an entry level teaching position at Tsinghua. In 1987 after earning the tenured professorship, he was invited by a classmate to join the China University of Mining (Beijing campus), where he helped advance the experimental engineering branch and became a Mentor Professor for Ph.D. students. Cuichang authored the Moiré Method of Strain Analysis in the China Great Encyclopedia, which sparked more research on the Moiré Method in China. Cuichang finished eight research projects and published more than 30 academic works in his lifetime. His accomplishments were listed in Who’s Who in the World 15th Edition (1998), a collection of the biographies of notable people.

Cuichang’s lifelong story is about love and endurance. He endured and lived through many colossal paradigm shifts such as extreme poverty, World War II, the Chinese Civil War, and the Great Cultural Revolution, to name a few. In 1957, he married Lili, the love of his life. They walked the journey together for more than 63 years truly for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. He would fondly recall at the very last night before his passing that the happiest moment in his life was marrying Lili. Cuichang deeply loved and devoted to his family, the center of his life. At age 77, he courageously left behind all the comfort living in China, immigrated to America, and started a new life all over again just to be with his family.

Cuichang was survived by his beloved wife Lili Huang (黄丽丽), older son Zigang Fang (方子刚), daughter Zihan Fang (方子菡), younger son Tao Zi Fong (方子滔) and daughter-in-law Wen Fan (范文), as well as two granddaughters Olneya Fong (方宇韵) and Olina Fong (方宇璇).

Dad/grandpa, our love for you will never fade. You will be forever missed.