Kan Chu

Tjoe Mei Niang (also known as Kan Chu), a devoted wife, loving mother, cherished grandmother, and beloved aunt, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2025 at the age of 91.

She was born in Jakarta on March 9, 1934, and spent her early years surrounded by the warmth of a large extended family. In 1955, at age 21, she bravely left her childhood home to return to mainland China. After a seven-day sea voyage, she arrived in Guangzhou and journeyed onward to Beijing, where a new and meaningful chapter of her life began.

In Beijing, she completed her high school education and was admitted to Beijing Normal University — an institution historically dedicated to training teachers. She went on to become a biochemistry teacher, embodying quiet strength, sharp intellect, and patient heart. Her students admired her calm guidance and unwavering dedication to learning.

In 1962, she met her life partner, Wei Han Ming (also known as Kwan Ngai). Their marriage was built on mutual love, respect, and resilience. Together, they raised two children—a son and a daughter—who adored her and were always her pride and joy. Her husband deeply cherished her, and her home was filled with gentle care and enduring love.

Throughout her years in China, she gracefully endured the difficulties of political upheaval, always placing her family’s safety and well-being above all else. In 1982, seeking stability, the family immigrated to Hong Kong, where she made her home for over two decades. In October 2005, she and her husband moved to the United States to join their daughter Cynthia in Delaware, embracing a new chapter together. In 2009, she settled in San Francisco, her final home.

A woman of boundless curiosity and simple joys, she loved to travel and continued exploring the world with her children—visiting Asia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand well into her mid 80s. She found peace in nature, delighting in observing birds and tending to plants. Her creative spirit shone in hours spent drawing and coloring. Indonesian cuisine remained her favorite of all cuisines, its familiar flavors always reminding her of home.

Above all, she treasured time with family. Visits with her extended relatives in Indonesia brought her deep joy, laughter, and a profound sense of belonging. She found love and happiness in every shared moment.

Since the onset of the pandemic, she faced Alzheimer’s disease with courage and grace. Though the illness gently dimmed her memories, she would always recall Tanah Abang in Jakarta as her true home, and that image brought her comfort in her final years. Even as her memory faded, her gentle soul remained, and her family stayed close, treasuring every moment.

Over the course of her 91 years, she spent more than two decades in each of four countries—Indonesia, China (Beijing), Hong Kong, and the United States - truly living a full and remarkable life.

She is survived by her children, Ben and Cynthia, and by a loving extended family across Asia. She is deeply missed—especially by those in Indonesia whose lives were touched by her grace.

“To live in the hearts of those we love is never to die.”