My Generation - Our Family

Text is in my uncle's words unless italicized, which are my comments and updates since 1990.

My generation: I am the only college graduate in the whole village.

Next generation: All except Bryan are college graduates.*

X-G: My brother Uncle Sem (Mee Sem Lai), in Baltimore, owns a restaurant. (deceased). Five children: A (Albert), B (Brenda), C (Christine), D (Donald), and E (Edward).

Albert: M.D. University of Maryland undergraduate and medical school. Board certified in General Surgery, thoracic and vascular surgery. Capable to perform open heart surgery. Now practices in Battle Creek and Detroit area of Michigan. Five children (three boys and two girls), also named ABCDE. Married cousin Nina of Moy family IV-I. They grew up together.

Albert and Nina have six children: Aaron, Byron, Clement, Daphne, Enid and Felix. Daphne is married to Jacob Kim?  Aaron is married to Kai Chen.

Brenda: RN University of Maryland. Head Nurse, Nephrology, Unit of Dialysis, University Hospital, Baltimore, MD. Husband Patrick: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland. Three sons, Gregory (5th grade), second son Derrick (1st grade), youngest son (1 year old). Family lives in Baltimore area, MD.

Christine: Physical Therapist, B.S. University of Pennsylvania. Husband Willie: Architect, B.S., University of Pennsylvania. Practices in Hawaii. Two sons Jason and Justin. Father-in-law is a diplomat of Taiwanese government, native Hu-pei.

Donald: M.D. University of Maryland. B.S. University of Pennsylvania. Wife Rose: B.A. University of Pennsylvania. Donald practices cardiology in Sacramento, CA. Two sons (Michael and Philip) and one daughter (Alison).

Edward: Lawyer, from a small law school in San Francisco area. B.A. either University of Maryland or Penn.

X-H: Myself, Chi-Chao Chiu, M.D. Hsiang Ya Medical College, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China. General Surgeon, Lt. Col. USAF. Wife Yung-Tsing Wong, M.D. Hsiang Ya Medical College. Pediatrician. The Wong family was native of Dung-Guoon County, between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. My wife was born in Hong Kong, number twelve of thirteen, number seven of eight girls.

My wife and I have two children.

Linda: M.D. Duke University Medical School, B.S. Princeton University. Husband Ben Hole, M.D. (and B.S.), Stanford University. Divorced. Practice in Spokane, WA. Three children, Ben Ben, Fritz, Tara.

David: Lawyer, Case Western Reserve University Law School, Cleveland, OH. B.A. Duke University. Now Assistant State Attorney in Baltimore.

X-I: My sister, Julia Shun-Ying Yau, R.N. Hackett Presbyterian Hospital, Guangzhou. Husband Bing C. Bock, (deceased 2005) electrical engineer, B.S. University of Maryland, B.S.E.E. Johns Hopkins University. Four children.

Donna Bock Felker: B.A. Cornell University, chemistry. M.B.A. Columbia University Business School, marketing. Husband Wade W. Felker, telecine colorist, B.S. University of Texas. Two children, Kiana and Sean. Live in Los Angeles area.

Mona Bock Kiely: B.A. University of Md., Graphic Design. Husband Marty Kiely: classmate. Divorced. Two children, Marilyn and Max Kiely. Lives in Baltimore area.

Cynthia Bock Ellis: Pharmacist, University of Md. Baltimore Campus. Husband Brian Ellis: classmate and also a pharmacist. Three children, Brendan, Alexandra, and Christian Ellis. Live in Bel Air, MD.

*Bryan Bock: B.A. Towson University College of Business and Economics. Wife Katie Tudahl Bock. Two children, Logan and Leeana Bock. Live in Nashville, TN area.

My comments:

*In a single generation, this family went from simple village folk in China to a people of astounding achievement and prosperity in America. I have added updates since the writing of this piece 25 years ago. The combination of a belief in education, traditional Chinese work and family ethic, and the forward thinking which led us to America propelled us to a high level of prosperity. Overall, our family remains humble, hard-working, with a positive attitude toward the future.