Liong Tjoa

Liong Tjoa, 87, died on Saturday, March 28th, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA, following a brief battle with leukemia. 

Born and raised in Indonesia, Liong grew up the fifth child and fourth son out of six children. After surviving Japanese occupation during World War II and Indonesia's revolutionary war, he attended college and medical school at the University of Airlangga. Upon graduation, he went on to work with the Indonesian government on the eradication of malaria and other infectious diseases. 

Later in life, he would recount the highs and lows of the job. Traveling through jungles in a Jeep vehicle, he often was poorly provisioned and paid, having to eat the food prepared by local villages and sleep in makeshift camps or on floors. At least once, he contracted malaria. However, he would return a year later to villages to witness the healthy, smiling children that benefited from his medical aid.

Liong moved to the United States of America and eventually Buffalo in the 1970s, where he completed his training in Psychiatry and spent the next 45 years enjoying Buffalo’s mild summers and snowy winters. In 1980, he married Deborah Wilkinson (later divorced in 1998) and together they raised two sons, Christopher and Aaron, who have followed in his footsteps as a psychiatrist and infectious disease professional, respectively. 

While in Buffalo, he worked for thirty years at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center helping low-income members of the Buffalo community with severe mental illness. In his later years, he moved to Philadelphia to be near his family.

Liong was an ardent nature lover and deeply believed in spiritualism. He was fond of gardening, parks and meditation. He would frequent area parks including Letchworth, Niagara Falls, and the Adirondack mountains. He was always happy to host guests and cook Indonesian dishes, like soto ayam and satay ayam. He also enjoyed chocolate, ice cream, crab, and lotto tickets, all of which he consumed in ample portions during retirement. 

His life philosophy was simple and consistent: don’t worry, enjoy life, and help people. 

He is survived by his brother Wan, his two sons Christopher and Aaron, and his grandchildren Jasper and Isabela.