Chih Ree Sun
Encyclopedia
Chih Ree Sun was a Chinese American
physicist
most noted with breaking new ground in modern physics as a professor at the State University of New York in Albany, he danced his way through life and spent time writing Chinese poetry
after he retired.
province in southeast China, Mr. Sun started college in Kunming
, but later went to India during World War II
.
He then taught and conducted research for 40 years in high-energy physics
, retiring from the State University of New York
at Albany
in 1995 after serving on the faculty for 27 years. Mr. Sun moved to Florida the following year.
took him across Broward and Palm Beach
counties.
A devoted member of the Coral Springs Chinese Cultural Association, Chih-Ree Sun also taught t'ai chi classes there with his wife, Felicia. But after a two-year struggle with kidney and lung cancer
, he died, aged 83.
"He was a fighter. He would fight to the last minute, the last second," said family friend Sophie Chen, a Coral Springs resident and active member of the Chinese Cultural Association. "He was very strong-willed. It is a great loss for us. We are definitely going to miss him a lot."
Determined to help children attend Chinese school at the Chinese Cultural Association, Mr. Sun requested a scholarship fund be established in his name there shortly before his death, his wife said.
He also published a collection of more than 200 original poems shortly before he died, his wife said. In one poem, he told of how his older sister gave him the last space inside a bomb shelter and waited outside while the Japanese attacked during the second Sino-Japanese war
. Both survived.
Proceeds from the book's sale will go to the scholarship fund, she said.
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
most noted with breaking new ground in modern physics as a professor at the State University of New York in Albany, he danced his way through life and spent time writing Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
after he retired.
Physics in Early Years
Born in the AnhuiAnhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
province in southeast China, Mr. Sun started college in Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, but later went to India during World War II
India in World War II
India, officially the Indian Empire, declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939. The Provinces of British India, being imperial colonies of the United Kingdom, were by default a part of the Allied nations and sent over two million troops to fight against the Axis powers...
.
He then taught and conducted research for 40 years in high-energy physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
, retiring from the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
at Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
in 1995 after serving on the faculty for 27 years. Mr. Sun moved to Florida the following year.
Arts in Retirement
After retired from physics field, he became author of Chinese poetry whose love for ballroom dancingBallroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
took him across Broward and Palm Beach
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
counties.
A devoted member of the Coral Springs Chinese Cultural Association, Chih-Ree Sun also taught t'ai chi classes there with his wife, Felicia. But after a two-year struggle with kidney and lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, he died, aged 83.
"He was a fighter. He would fight to the last minute, the last second," said family friend Sophie Chen, a Coral Springs resident and active member of the Chinese Cultural Association. "He was very strong-willed. It is a great loss for us. We are definitely going to miss him a lot."
Determined to help children attend Chinese school at the Chinese Cultural Association, Mr. Sun requested a scholarship fund be established in his name there shortly before his death, his wife said.
He also published a collection of more than 200 original poems shortly before he died, his wife said. In one poem, he told of how his older sister gave him the last space inside a bomb shelter and waited outside while the Japanese attacked during the second Sino-Japanese war
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. Both survived.
Proceeds from the book's sale will go to the scholarship fund, she said.