Dr. Maureen Chia-Hui Sze

Maureen was born on March 26, 1940, in the then British colony of Hong Kong to Palmer and Edith Sze (nee Bien), both from prominent Chinese families. Her father’s work as a banker brought her to Chongqing (Chungking) and Kunming during World War II, after which her family moved to Shanghai.

Due to the looming civil war in China, her father decided to bring his family to the United States. He departed in 1950, as Maureen and the rest of the family waited for visas in Hong Kong before joining him in 1952.

As a new immigrant to the United States, Maureen struggled at first with English and the gaps in her education. Learning quickly, she matriculated to the Dana Hall School to finish high school, graduating in 1957. She went on to Cornell University and received her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry in 1962.

Set on medicine for a profession, she attended Albany Medical College for her MD. After moving to Portland with her then husband, she completed a residency in pathology at the Maine Medical Center.

However, she wanted to work with children and completed a second residency in pediatrics, entering private practice in 1979. As both a woman and an Asian, she faced greater barriers to acceptance but the practice grew rapidly.

Her group merged with others to form Greater Portland Pediatric Associates in 1993. A former colleague said she was a model of calm and self-assurance, and was well-loved by her patients, their families, and her colleagues.

She retired in 2007, allowing her time to pursue her favorite activities: traveling, walking with friends, reading, gardening and painting.

Shortly before her death, Maureen said she felt “extremely lucky” to have received a good education and enjoyed a stable career. In her lifetime, she survived a world war, a revolution and immigration to a new country.

She is survived by her three children, Edith Sze Savadove (Thomas), Bill Savadove (Lillian) and Tom Savadove (Melissa); two grandchildren, George and Julian; and her brother Robert Sze (Corinne) and sister Melanie Sze.

The family will memorialize her death privately. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the organizations Maureen supported:

Friends of Casco Bay: https://www.cascobay.org

Cobscook Institute: https://cobscookinstitute.org

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village: https://maineshakers.com