Chien-Chang Chang

After a 4 year battle with cancer, Chien Chang “CC” Chang passed peacefully at home in Austin, TX with his family. Though cancer took his strength it never took his will to live. CC enjoyed a host of activities in recent years even while undergoing treatment including traveling to Africa, Switzerland, Jamaica, Punta Cana, France and even the British Virgin Islands to get his Catamaran Captain Certificate. While out on the Lake, no matter his condition he would always have the biggest smile on his face and enjoyed taking friends and family out to sail. His son, Johnny plans to continue to sail as well.

Chien Chang Chang was a loving Husband to Betty Chang and Father to Johnny and Jade Chang. He was born in Taiwan and was the 3rd of 4 sons. Betty and CC immigrated to the US in the late 70’s to find a better life for their family and settled in Wethersfield, CT where they made many friends through the Chinese Culture Center and the Taiwanese Association of Connecticut. They moved to West Hartford, CT to be closer to various family activities like ice skating, swimming, and piano lessons. CC enjoyed playing tennis and encouraged his son Johnny to play as well. CC and Johnny enjoyed typical father son activities like fishing near Long Island Sound, raking leaves, mowing lawns, home improvement. CC’s favorite restaurant was Red Lobster where he’d enjoy the admiral’s feast. Seafood was always his favorite and during his last days, he only asked for Sushi/Sashimi Combos :).

Betty and CC enjoyed many years of marriage and just like every marriage out there, weathered their share of life’s ups and downs and always kept good on their promise to take care of each other in sickness and in health. While CC wasn’t the best dancer, he did his best to always accompany Betty to various dance parties like Salsa, Tango, Line Dancing. In recent years, since their youngest son went to college, CC and Betty took on an obsession with getting the most out of life, traveling the world and seeking adventure. In recent years, CC had bought snorkeling equipment, a Kayak, Snowshoes, hiking poles, binoculars, hiking boots, a sailboat, camping equipment, all in his quest to eek every drop of excitement and adventure out of life that he could.

CC was a very hard working, loyal, dedicated employee that always sacrificed for his family. He worked for Northeast utilities for many years and most recently worked at the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant where he commuted 120 miles a day to work. He was always very thankful to the good people that gave him opportunities to work and for their flexibility while he underwent treatment.

After his diagnosis, we weren’t sure of what the future held but he was very happy to be able to walk his Daughter, Jade down the sand aisle in Punta Cana. Ironically, he had lost his glasses while sailing with his son and thankfully a friend flew in with a spare pare but this event was very indicative of the “adventures” that Johnny and CC always have – Like father, like Son :). People who know Johnny and CC know that we are both quite absentminded but the biggest thing CC passed onto his family was a warm, generous, and kind heart for his friends and family. He was also able to see his Son get married to Marsha and celebrate with his friends in Jamaica. Other life milestones he was able to experience after his diagnosis were the birth of his 2nd grandson.

In 2009, CC and Betty moved to Austin to be closer to family and to be closer to MD Anderson where they have a world class cancer treatment facility. The move was very difficult and emotional as they had to leave all of their friends very quickly. Being in a new city with no friends has been difficult but having family close by (all on the same street) has been a wonderful chance for the family to spend precious quality time with each other.

In recent years, Betty’s favorite memory was having the chance to hike the 18 mile South Rim of the Grand Canyon with CC in 2012. This was part of a once in a lifetime road trip from Austin to Sedona Desert, Vegas, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park and up to the Bay Area and then back through the Grand Canyon on the way home. The most impressive thing was that CC accomplished all of these feats while battling cancer.

Johnny’s favorite memory was most recently having the chance to go sailing with him on his 23-foot sailboat on lake Travis on nice weekends. No matter how much his health was failing him and he couldn't walk, being out on the Lake gave him wings. They also got the chance to go to Dallas in 2014 to watch the UCONN Men win the National College Basketball Championship.

When Jade graduated from college, she had a hard time adjusting and wasn't sure what she was going to do. Daddy sent her an email and told her about how scared and lonely he was when he first landed in America where he couldn't speak English and had very little money and mommy and her were still in Taiwan. He said that no matter what, it would be ok because he would always protect her and that I could always go home. Jade is so thankful that he made that trip so many years ago to start a new life for his family. We all have a wonderful life here because of the courage that he and mommy had 35 years ago to come here.

We are all so very thankful to have had CC in our lives for 65 years. Recently, CC went to attain his Scuba Diving Certification. Though this presented enormous physical challenge, he was determined. Though in the end, cancer took its toll and he couldn’t handle the physical rigors, I see his Scuba Training manual where he took meticulous notes along with his Catamaran Captain training manualwhere he told Betty that he had “never studied so hard in his life” and I am reminded of someone who never let failure or circumstances get in the way of his dreams. The way he lived his life encourages us all to take risks and go full sail ahead.