Hsiao-Jun Li was born in Beijing, China on Oct 10, 1923, to his father Shu-Hua Li and his mother Chen-Yuan Wan. Hsiao-Jun and his two sisters came from a family of great learning. He became a learned man himself, studying in China and earning his PhD in Chemistry in the United States.

Hsiao-Jun’s father was an educator within the Nationalist government, and their family was driven from the country by the Communists. This was difficult for the entire family and he never returned to China.

Hsiao-Jun continued his education here in the United States where he met and married our mother, Ven-Shun Wang.  They raised three children, Albert (Chung-Kwang), George (Chung-Ming), and Pauline (Chung-Hsiu).  He is also survived by his younger sister, Yu Chen, who resides in New Jersey and could not be with us today, and his grandson, Brian Andrew Li. 

Hsiao-Jun made his career as a polymer research scientist working at Ameripol Synpol in Parsippany, New Jersey, and relocated to Beaumont, Texas, in 1978 to continue his work in Port Neches, Texas.

Hsiao-Jun enjoyed tinkering and building things. He liked to take things apart and learned how they worked.  He was DIY man who performed his own plumbing, carpentry, electrical wiring, automotive repair, and building various electrical and mechanical devices.  He loved to read and collected a large selection of books, coins, and stamps. He was very interested in medicine and volunteered at St. Elizabeth’s hospital for many years.  He was also a hobbyist photographer who took and developed his own black & white photographs, especially of his family. 

In his last years, he resided at Calder Woods Assisted Living. He was often seen walking through the halls with his caregivers and reading the newspaper.  He especially enjoyed outings to the library, the Senior Center, Walgreens, and going out for Chinese food.

He passed away in his sleep on Feb 10, 2015, at Mid-Jefferson Extended Hospital in Nederland, Texas.  A family committal was held at Broussard’s Crematorium in Beaumont.

There were great depths to our father that he was somehow unable to share. He was an extremely private man and there is much we did not know of him, but he raised and provided for us, and we hope that in his final rest he is well provided for.