Senate Resolution No. 794

BY: Senator HARCKHAM

MOURNING the death of Robert Shyun-Jing Chao,
proud Asian-American, family man, and devoted member
of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao of Chappaqua, New York, died on
Sunday, August 7, 2022, at the age of 74; and

WHEREAS, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao, affectionately known to many as
Bob, was born on September 26, 1948, to Fei-Kuan Chao and Shih-Ming
Chang in Nanjing, China; during his early childhood, his father, a
Kuomintang General who had fought against the Japanese invasion,
retreated to Taiwan when the Communists took over China; in 1949, Robert
and his mother and brother Wei, escaped during the night on a fishing
boat and joined their father in Taiwan, where they made their home; and

WHEREAS, In 1962, at the young age of 15, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao
left home to attend high school in Taipei, where he excelled both
academically and socially; and

WHEREAS, After earning his bachelor's degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Zhong-Xing University, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao
immigrated to the United States in 1971 for a graduate program at the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he met his future wife,
Ann; and

WHEREAS, Upon completing his master's degree in the Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao received a
Research Scholarship in the Department of Materials Science and
Engineering at Cornell University on a PhD track in 1973; and

WHEREAS, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao and Ann were married on January 2,
1975, in Taiwan, and one year later, they moved to Chicago, Illinois,
for his first job with IITRI; he then took a job at IBM and moved to
Endicott, New York, and later, in 1991, he and his family moved to
Chappaqua, New York, for an internal job assignment within IBM
Headquarters; and

WHEREAS, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao spent most of his career at IBM,
first as an engineer, then in Intellectual Property Mergers and
Acquisitions; after IBM, he spent years working abroad, first with
Infineon in Munich, Germany, then in Singapore and Taiwan, and came back
home in 2016, formed a partnership "Radius IP" with an IBM colleague and
worked there until his final days; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to his community, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao was
involved with numerous volunteer organizations such as CAAPS, and OCA
Westchester and Hudson Valley where he served as the Co-Chair of
Advocacy; and


WHEREAS, A genuine family man, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao loved to spend
time with his beloved family, and could often be found sitting in the
audience for one of his daughter's musical performances or encouraging
their academic careers and extracurricular interests; he and his family
enjoyed adventure and traveling, whether it was to see a Broadway show
in New York City or walking in the woods to forage for ramps and
mushrooms or visiting places in Europe and Asia; and

WHEREAS, Predeceased by his parents and brother, Steve, Robert
Shyun-Jing Chao is survived by his wife, Ann; two daughters, Yvonne and
Tiffany (David) Bebb; one grandson, Theodore; one sister, Virginia; and
one brother, Wei; as well as numerous other relatives, friends and
colleagues who will long cherish his memory; and

WHEREAS, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao was a man of many passions and
interests and truly lived each day to the fullest; his warm smile and
engaging humor will forever remain in the hearts of all those who have
had the privilege of knowing such a remarkable man; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Robert Shyun-Jing Chao leaves behind a legacy which will
long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory
to all he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Robert Shyun-Jing Chao, proud Asian-American, family
man, and devoted member of his community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Robert Shyun-Jing Chao.