Charlotte Tang Tao

On February 22, 2024, our beloved Charlotte “Lan Lan” Tang Tao unexpectedly passed away, leaving her loving husband, children, grandchildren, and church sisters and brothers too soon. She joins the Kingdom of God to look over us eternally with her cheerful smile and passion for the arts.

Charlotte was born in 1940 in Guizhou China and was the middle of three children. The ongoing Chinese Civil War forced the family to move from Nanjing to Taipei, Taiwan in 1949. She received an Associate’s degree from the National Taiwan University of Arts, the most prestigious art university in Taiwan, and graduated among the top of her class. She began her career working at the popular Kuo Hua Advertising Agency in Taipei.

She met her future husband, Thomas Liang-Pei Tao, through her older brother, Mark, and became engaged in 1963. She was baptized in 1965, and took the plunge to move to Houston, Texas that year to get married. She had many learning experiences as an immigrant to a new country, including a few years having a son, Sammy, and daughter, Mimi. The family moved to Corpus Christi, where she raised the kids and continued her work in advertising and in graphic design. She moved back to Houston to Sugar Land in 1997.

“Lan Lan,” her childhood nickname meaning orchid, expressed her passion for the creative arts in many varied outlets! She loved sketching, painting, and clay molding that ranged from figures to landscapes to abstract designs. With her nimble hands she created 2D and 3D origami, and would knit, sew, and crochet. She made so many yummy dishes and experimented with varied cooking ingredients and techniques. True to her nickname, she was an avid gardener with a special affinity for raising orchids and bonsai. She practiced yoga and Tai Chi 24 Form, and was proud of her disciplined practice that led to a gold medal at the 2001 Global Tai Chi Chuan Competition.

Charlotte is survived by her husband of 58 years, Thomas; son Sammy and wife Melissa; daughter Mimi and husband Kyung Tai (K.T.); and grandchildren Emily, Stephen, Ella, and Eva. Charlotte had 2 siblings, each with their respective families. Pre-deceased are her father, Yen Ling Tang, mother, Su Yin Huang, and brother Mark, and surviving is her sister Annie.

Funeral services will be held at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery located at 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079, with a 9 a.m. viewing, 10 a.m. service, and 11 a.m. burial. Donations are accepted in lieu of flowers to Fort Bend Community Church, 7707 Highway 6, Missouri City, TX 77459 (https://www.fbcchome.org).