Lawrence Kao

Lawrence I-Kang Kao was born on March 17th, 1975 to Vera and Leo Kao at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland.  At the time of his birth, Lawrence was considered a medical miracle.  He was born 11 weeks premature and weighed only 1lb. 14oz. 

As a child, Lawrence was energetic and social.  He would often walk up to strangers and try to initiate a conversation.  Lawrence participated in several activities growing up - Cub Scouts, skateboarding, Tae Kwon Do, and lacrosse.  He looked up to his father and became an avid reader at an early age.  Lawrence was also heavily invested in pop culture and the latest trends in music, films, food, and art enabling him to strike up conversations on a wide range of topics. 

Lawrence grew up in Columbia Maryland and lived there until his late 30s, he spent brief stints in Washington, DC, Las Vegas and Torrance, California.  It took a little while before he found a desired career.  Lawrence fell in love with his first job in the kitchen of Clyde's, a lake front restaurant in the heart of Columbia.  From there on, Lawrence worked on cuisine he was passionate about - French, Japanese, and Chinese food.  He worked at notable chains such as P.F. Chang's and for Think Food Group, run by Jose Andres.  Lawrence was a line chef at Din Tai Fung at the time of his passing.

Lawrence is survived by his mother and father, as well as his aunt Janice and cousin Rick(y).  

We are all shocked and saddened by his sudden passing.  We will miss his energy, enthusiasm, and warmth.  Please feel free to share pictures, stories and any other thoughts you may have as we celebrate his life.

We plan to hold a virtual memorial service for him at 4pm PST on Sunday, January 12th 2025.  For those of you live in Southern California and are interested in joining us in person, please reach out rick.chang@alum.mit.edu for additional details.