“Anything is possible.” That is what George Mai Liu believed about life. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. George thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. George was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.
George was born on October 26, 1951 in Taiwan. His parents were Peter and Alice Liu. George was raised in Taiwan and Peru. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, George could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.
This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on George's family relationships. George was raised with two siblings. He had two younger brothers, Edward and Robert. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, George was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.
As a young boy, George could be found building and inventing new and different things. He was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. George took part in soccer. In his spare time he liked to read comic books and listen to the radio while pretending to read.
Endowed with an appetite for knowing how his world worked, George enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. George was adept at scrutinizing different possibilities and designing innovative solutions. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was math. One of George's accomplishments in high school was that he was selected to be on the Math Team.
Because he was a quick thinker and adept at picking up on new things, George performed well in college. He was always on a quest for knowledge and he relished the experience. Theories intrigued him, and he was good at solving complex problems. He always wanted to understand rather than judge. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of California Berkeley.
George was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. Always interested in his friends’ activities and interests, George was uncritical of his acquaintances. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found George to be very stimulating company. George's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. During his college years, he became friends with Ken Wong and William/Howard Chan.
On October 4, 1975 George exchanged wedding vows with Patricia Lam at Berkeley Friends Church of Berkeley, California. George was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. George was seldom a critical person, but rather the one who was able to bring out the best in others. George was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to his spouse’s needs. He was a vibrant personality and he enjoyed verbally sparring with Patricia. In fact, those who knew him often remarked that George loved to argue for argument’s sake. He was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings, especially regarding Patricia's.
George's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced his relationship with his children. He would create original, clever and fun games for his kids and had a knack for finding ways to make everyday events, even chores, enjoyable to them. George was blessed with 2 children, two daughters, Jennifer and Tiffany. They were also blessed with two grandsons, Brendan and Alexander. Someone who was quick to laugh, George found it easy to spend lots of time with his children, but he was never overbearing or guilty of pushing himself on them.
As a born inventor, George was definitely in his element in his work place. He could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. George was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. George was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. He was employed for 7 years by Marvell Semiconductor Inc. and was previously an entrepreneur. George always made an effort to be a team player, doing what needed was necessary in order to get the job done.
George's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since George was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that George simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits were golfing, gardening, and horses.
George's calm demeanor and eternally positive outlook served him well in sports. In high school, George played soccer. Recreational sports included soccer, skiing, golf, and horseback riding. George was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and golf.
With all of his talents, his ingenuity, his solutions and inventiveness, it is no surprise that George received public recognition for his competence. With the drive and ability to meet any challenge, George accumulated a long list of achievements throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included soccer awards and best boss awards.
Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued George. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for George to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included Europe Cruise, South East Asia, and Grand Canyon.
George was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of George's favorites was Sammy, a rottweiler. They were best friends for 7 years. His family was rounded out by his six horses, Candy, Champ, Brutus, Baxter, Dee Dee, and Deco, his two dogs, Annabelle and Magic, and his two cats, Spaz and Wiggles.
George passed away suddenly on May 16, 2012 in China. He is survived by his wife Patricia; his daughters Jennifer and Tiffany; and his grandsons Brendan and Alexander. Services were held at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose, California. George was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.
During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to George. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. George was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For George, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For George Mai Liu, the fun of living his life could be found in the challenge.
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