Wen Yu Chen

His love of travel and culture took Wen Yu Chen all across the globe, but it was his passion for God and family that brought him to live in the United States. Born January 15, 1915, in Mukden, China, Mr. Chen immigrated to California in 1976 with his late wife, Hsui Yung Djen, and lived in Camarillo, Newbury Park and Ventura before his death on June 20, 2009. He was 94. The youngest of seven children, Mr. Chen was the only member of his family to graduate from high school. He converted to Christianity in his youth and was subsequently disowned by his parents, but married and went to work for the Seventh-day Adventist church as a teacher and dean of boys at one of its boarding schools. A supporter of Chiang Kai Shek and the Nationalist Party in China, Mr. Chen was forced to emigrate - first to Hong Kong, then to Singapore - with his wife and young son after the Chinese Civil War began. In Singapore, Mr. Chen worked as an accountant, treasurer and business manager for many years. Mr. Chen's son, Donald, left for the U.S. in the mid-1960s to attend college, where he met his wife; years later, the birth of their first grandchild inspired Mr. and Mrs. Chen to join their son and daughter-in-law in America. Mr. Chen worked for nearly 20 years in accounting at the Adventist Media Center, then headquartered in Newbury Park, and was respected by his colleagues as a dedicated,honest and hardworking professional. His supervisor, who had told him that he was the best employee she'd ever had, tried unsuccessfully to convince him to delay his planned retirement, which he took after his wife passed away in 1992. Mr. Chen traveled extensively throughout his life, but never more than during his retirement years. He went around the world with a guided tour group twice in his lifetime, and his adventures took him to Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, South America and Canada, as well as many states in his adopted country. His last trip was in 2004, when he set sail on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary 2 off the coast of New York. Mr. Chen is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Donald and May; as well as grandchildren, Laura, David and Linda, who remember his signature gestures of the thumbs-up sign and tracing the letter "A" with his finger (in reference to his wish for his grandchildren to earn all A's on their report cards). His family is grateful he had the opportunity to live a long, full, memorable life; that he now is at peace with the Lord; and that they will see him again in the heavenly reunion.