Eugenius Ang

Dr. Eugenius SBC Ang, M.D., dedicated gastroenterologist, devoted husband, beloved father, and movie-loving grandfather, died on Thursday at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. He was 88.

Born in the mountainous region of Fujian, China in 1935, his family immigrated to the Philippines when he was a year old. During WWII and the Japanese occupation, Eugene’s family fled from Manila to the surrounding jungle. Despite the chaos and uncertainty, looking back he fondly recalled this as an adventure a la Swiss Family Robinson, which included foraging for fruit and fishing to survive alongside a neighboring family. From this, he seemed to have acquired a sense of being able to survive anything and a default optimism and contentment which accompanied him through the rest of his life.

In 1960, Eugene married his high school sweetheart, Rosa Gan. He completed his undergraduate and medical degrees and Internal Medicine training at the University of the Philippines. In 1967, he came to Ann Arbor, MI to complete his fellowship training in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan. He remained in Ann Arbor and had offices in Ann Arbor, Whitmore Lake, Tecumseh, and Monroe. He retired at age 77. In addition to his medical associations, he was a longstanding and regular member of St. Thomas Church, Barton Hills Country Club, and Vic Tanny Health Club.

For Eugene, medicine was a calling, and his patients always came first. He balanced sympathy and compassion for his patients with the quality of equanimity extolled in William Osler’s “Aequanimitas.” Fueled by his wife’s wonderful cooking and KitKats, Dr. Ang worked long hours during the week and typically on the weekends without complaint. He felt it was a privilege to serve, even and especially when called into the hospital in the middle of the night to stop a bleeding ulcer. He demonstrated the same patience when being awoken by his own children, whether for an upset stomach or itchy skin.

For Eugene, every event was an opportunity to learn and improve. He loved to collect and expound upon aphorisms, whether Chinese or Western. Some favorites were: “When there’s a will there’s a way;” “Feed an army for a thousand days to win a single battle;” “An emergency anticipated ceases to be an emergency” and the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (or its cheeky alternative: “The one who has the gold makes the rule.”). A fan of movies, he could extract life lessons for his children and grandchildren from every film, whether it be Boyz N the Hood or the Fast and the Furious (he saw all of them). He loved America and democracy, and was particularly enthusiastic about presidential debates. In the 1980’s he would set up 3 television sets, each viewable from the dinner table and tuned to different channels so that he could experience the same debate from various angles. He was looking forward to voting absentee in the upcoming election.

Eugene is survived by his wife, Rosa Ang, his 3 children Marigene Gan Hartker (Scott Ashdown), Eugenius Ang, Jr (Agnes Ang), and Gina Charlene Ang (John Mitchell), and 9 grandchildren Erik Mattaeus Hartker; Antonia, Xavier and Lyla Ang; and Oliver, Jasper, Lucy, Henry and Anthony Mitchell. He was preceded in death by his son Anthony Mark on September 11, 1972.

The visitation will be at Muehlig Funeral Chapel (403 S. 4th St, Ann Arbor) Wednesday 9/11 from 3-5pm. The funeral mass will take place Thursday, 9/12 at St. Thomas Apostolic Church (530 Elizabeth St., Ann Arbor) at 9:30AM.