Su Jean Chen Wang

My mother, Chen, Su-Jean was born in Fu-Jian Province, China 1926.
She was the eldest child from a big family with children of all ages. She started keeping the household and caring of her siblings at early age due to her mother's illness. Because of my grandfather's job, my mother lived in a few major cities in China that gave her the opportunity to be fluent in many Chinese dialects besides her native tongue.
She moved to Taiwan in 1947 with my grandfather, completed her high school then worked at Taipei Taxation Bureau and continued her career after marrying my father to start the family.
My mother was a kind, optimistic, trusted, smart person; very good with her hands making things and always observant. She used to make her own dresses, our clothing, and cooked many authentic Chinese dishes. She used to arrange dinner parties in our house, inviting friends and relatives on Chinese holidays and cooked 10 course meals just like restaurant served but better. She was also good at managing family finance, saved enough money to put us through colleges and provided financial assistance to our comfortable life.
After her retirement, my parents moved to the States. She devoted her time caring for the grandchildren and enjoying family life. It was a big adjustment for my parents to fit in the American suburban life style. But they learned to enjoy and be as independent as they could. They made new friends with neighbors, exercised daily to stay healthy, explored the near-by markets and banks to learn a few new things to stay current.
Our mother's fighting spirit got her through breast cancer in 2002 and the first stroke in 2014. Unfortunately the second stroke left her with severe brain damage and took her from us on July 7th, 2016.
We are eternally grateful to our parents; especially my mother. Her kindness, generosity, being righteous and considerate has given us the lifetime gift to face the challenges on our own.

我的母親，王陳素珍 1926 年出生於福建省，林森縣，是為福州人，在家族中排行老大。由於外婆因病早逝，我母親自小就擔負起不少持家及照顧自家及堂弟妹的責任，直到擔任海關的外公任職到廣州、上海、香港、台灣等地，而隨從外公長居在外地。 這也造就了我母親的語言天才，除了鄉音福州話之外，她也能夠隨時以流利的廣東話、上海話、國語或閩南話溝通。這比我們這些在台灣出生的晚輩強的多。

母親於民國36年就隨同外公到台灣，台南安平定居，在一次去台北的旅途中，火車上所有的外省人幾乎全都被一夥台灣的浪人逐下火車，丟入山溝殺害；而她所幸有一位同車箱的醫生保護而幸免於難。之後到台北完成高中學業再任職台北稅捐處，並與剛派任到台灣電力公司的父親交往進而成家。

母親的個性樂觀、友善、好學而且樂於助人，在公司裡和同事及上司、屬下都相處和睦；在家更是與鄰居們互動頻繁，串門子、標會、年節時常常在家宴請親戚朋友或互送應節小吃，等等。 除了上班，還得拉拔我們姐弟妹，只在我父親出國留學期間請了一兩年傭人幫忙；至今我依然清晰的記得母親騎腳踏車帶我去幼稚園上學的情景。她的身教及言教不但造就了我們相對樂觀的人生態度，也懂得知足豁達。

父母退休後賣掉了台北的公寓，搬來美國與我同住紐約，但她也從不閒著養老，而是幫忙照顧孫輩，打理家裡的事。週末上上菜館，到附近走走。後來因為氣候的關係，決定搬到洛杉磯以免風雪之苦。在洛杉磯一住就是十來年，同樣的常常接待親戚、與鄰居們常常在門口聊天，隔壁的小朋友也會到家裡來玩耍。
母親這一身，雖然談不上什麼豐功偉業，但是盡忠職守、相夫教子、奉養長輩，勤快、樂於助人、凡事不斤斤計較，直到一年多前因為中風，需要特殊的照顧而不得不住進安養院，雖然行動能力都在恢復，但不敵近期的再次中風。因無法治療，而於 7/7/2016 往生，安享到90 高齡。

我們子女能夠在目前有個相對平穩的生活條件，其實父母在我們的起跑線給了極大的幫助。我們遺憾不能為母親提供更好的照料，只能依她的心願讓她安詳的上天堂與我父親同在。
最後，感謝諸位親友以往的關懷與照顧。我們按照父母生前的要求，沒有繁瑣的追悼儀式， 用回歸大自然的方式處理， 以火化及大海作為他們的歸宿。