David Kai Chu

David Kai Chu was born on March 16, 1962 in Hong Kong to loving parents Edward Pui Yin Chu and Connie Yuen Yin Chu. Dave was a devoted husband to Isabel, the greatest father to his daughters, Haley and Michelle, beloved big brother of Betty, Susan, Ann, Eliana, and Keent, and big uncle to Stephanie, Beth, Ryan, Jared, Troy, Conrad, Seth, Kevin, Kyle, and Bret. He was also an adored cousin and a true and faithful friend to those who knew him.

Dave earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Davis in 1985. After graduating, he worked on secret government projects at Point Mugu in California for 10 years. He missed his family and friends so much during that period that he moved back to the Bay Area to pursue a Masters in Electrical Engineering Degree from San Jose State University, and to be close to his love ones. Dave became a successful hardware engineer and used his knowledge to design computer chips at various high tech companies in Silicon Valley. When the tech bubble burst in 2001, both Dave and Isabel lost their high tech jobs. Dave couldn’t find another engineering job so he went back to school and became a nurse in 2004. He loved helping people as a nurse but his true passion was still engineering, so in 2008 he fought to get back in the engineering field when the job market finally got better.

Dave met Isabel in 1995 and they fell in love. They were married in 1997 in San Francisco and went to Hawaii for their honeymoon. When Dave and Isabel decided to start a family, they were blessed with twins in 2006. They named the girls Haley Naomi and Michelle Riley. They compromised on the names; Isabel picked the first names and Dave picked the middle names.

Dave enjoyed biking, running, watching movies, and spending time with his family and friends. He was passionate about his politics and he never hesitated to educate and challenge others about the causes he believed in and supported, such as affordable healthcare.

Above all else, Dave loved his wife Isabel and his two daughters, Haley and Michelle. He worked hard every day for them and cherished every moment he could spend with them.

Dave passed away on Thursday, September 27, 2018, after battling cancer for almost two years. He was just 56 years old.