Stephen Jang | 張德澤

Stephen Jang | 張德澤, a Husband, Father, Uncle, Brother, and Friend who was brought into this world on July 24th, 1961, to bring joy to everyone around him, has left us on September 8th, 2021. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan, as the youngest child with three sisters and one brother. After receiving his Bachelor's degree at National Taiwan University in Electrical Engineering, he decided to study in the United States. He achieved a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at Michigan State University in 1988 and a Master's Degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California in 1990. During a visit to Taiwan in 1988, he met his soulmate Teresa Yang to whom he immediately knew was the love of his life and married her in 1989. Five years later in 1994, he had his son Richard, and then in 1996, his daughter Kathy. His children loved him dearly and especially adored his stories. Stephen, a fantastic storyteller and entertainer, would always have a new story to tell them about his time in the Taiwanese military or his life in Taipei. Stephen and Teresa raised their children first in Milpitas before eventually moving and settling in San Jose, where they established a home and community full of love and laughter. There, Stephen and Teresa led their family in numerous family outings, exploring the Bay Area and California with an eager passion. The pair knew all the secret, lesser-known places worth going to. Stephen was an active member of his son Richard's Boy Scout troop, T453. There, his energy shone brightly and he quickly became one of the most popular figures among other parents and boy scouts alike, a beacon of light and joy for all who knew him. Stephen was the energy behind the troop, leading yells and songs, acting as emcee for end-of-year ceremonies, and encouraging others to enjoy themselves. He was silly and joyful and people were immediately drawn to him. From Troop 453's circle of scouting parents, Stephen and Teresa developed a lifelong group of friends that they call the T-Bones, or, 老骨頭. If you ask anyone in that circle, they would tell you that Stephen was always the most humorous individual who made their day better. Stephen and Teresa were also devoted Christians and found their community in a church group from the River of Life. Together they dedicated their spiritual journey to the teachings of Jesus Christ until the day of his passing. To his friends and loved ones, Stephen is known to be a playful and positive spirit. He had the ability to bring laughter and joy to anyone's life, and always had a smile on his face. "He's like Asian Santa Claus," his daughter Kathy would always say when describing his joy and infectious energy to her friends. We all know there's never a dull moment around him. During the last weeks of his life, the enormous impact that Stephen has had on those lives he touched came out in spades. He experienced an outpouring of love from all corners of his life: siblings, scouting friends, his church group, and so many friends that it is impossible to count. It's saddening that we've lost such a lovable individual, but rather than mourn, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate his life and hear stories from the countless friends and family he's touched to create an everlasting memory of him.