In Memory of Mr. Ronald Wen of Kaoshiung, Taiwan 1949-2022/Carlos Pueblo

 In Memory of Mr. Ronald Wen of Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1948-2022/Carlos Pueblo

While visiting the Alaskan Governor's mansion at Juneau, Alaska on my Cruise, I learned that my college classmate, Ronald Wen of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, passed away on May the 9th. He had a severe stroke on April 12th at home at Irvine, California. He is a good friend of mine and helping me to solve a visa problem to leave Taiwan in 1975 and I must repeat his kind effort again in memory fo this rare Taiwanese gentleman.

He is from a wealth family, yet he selects to enter Taiwan Normal University, a school to prepare secondary school teacher in Taiwan. He was number one in our junior class; therefore, he was elected as the class leader to manage our class affair such as delivering the monthly allowance from the ministry of education and lease the cap and gown at the graduation, etc. After two years army draft service and two years teaching at middle school, we were all eligible to apply studying abroad in 1975. He was alright to get the visa to come to the United States with a full scholarship while I ran into my difficulty to get mine. I performed poorly at the college with my grade point average and in the result that I didn't pass the national examination to study abroad. I failed to pass the Organic Chemistry yet I did pass English, GRE, and TOEFL. I also didn't get the admission of any American University at all. Finally, I got a part time lab technician job, called the tuition-ship at the Lamar University and was allowed to apply the exit visa in lieu of passing the national examination. It was required by the U.S. Consulate General office in Taipei, Taiwan that I provided a US$2,000 check from the Bank of Taiwan to prove that I had financial support of a year. This was a huge amount for me at that time in Taiwan. He understood my strong desire to leave Taiwan and my family couldn't help me at all. He asked his father, a very generous business tycoon at that time to loan me that amount and that was how I could start my application for a visa.

Before my purchase a single way air plane ticket, a full scholarship letter came from Auburn University in Alabama. I took the check to the U.S. and waiting his instruction to mail my personal check to him. I remember this favor for all my life and I talk about it and write about it. 

He finished his study at the University of Wisconsin with two degrees, one in chemistry and another one in the environmental science. He came to visit us in Houston several times in the 80's, even Amy still remembers it. I have visited him several times when he moved to Irvine, California. I miss him very much. Recently, I read about his whole family's trip to Oregon to visit old professors friends from Wisconsin and I am so happy for him. I don't realize that is a farewell.