Patricia Tao

Terence Tao   陶知章

Ana Maria Garcia

Ron Jhu

Dr. Terence C. Tao (陶知章), age 75, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2020 at Belmont Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Belmont, Massachusetts.
Terry was born on August 4, 1944 in Shanghai, China, to parents George and Sondra Tao. He attended secondary school at St. Francis Xavier’s College, Hong Kong, where he graduated in 1960. At just 16 years old, he came to the United States to study. He earned his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in 1964, and a PhD in chemical physics from Columbia in 1969. After completing post-doctoral training at both Yale and University of Cambridge, Terry returned to New York, teaching at NYU for 3 years before moving to Boston.  He spent 37 years as a research scientist at Boston Biomedical Research Institute.
While at BBRI, Terry met his wife Ana Maria and later became father to Patricia.  In 1995, Terry suffered a debilitating accident, leaving him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Despite the immense challenges, he was able to overcome adversity in rehabilitating his condition beyond initial expectations, even walking with support for a number of years. He was always grateful that even though the accident affected his mobility, it had not affected his brain. He was able to continue his work at BBRI, and was able to live a rich, full life for many years following his accident.
Terry was an avid sports fan. It was very difficult when his favorite local teams, the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, or Red Sox, would play games at the same time (which happens sometimes in the fall) and he could not watch all of them.  March Madness was always a delightful challenge, trying to watch as many games as humanly possible in a short timeframe.
Terry also loved both playing and listening to music, particularly Irish and country music.  He enjoyed playing the guitar and the penny whistle, which he would carry with him when going on hikes. He also loved playing the harmonica, an instrument he could continue playing after his accident and even once he moved to Belmont Manor Nursing Home. Terry would play his harmonica outside at the nursing home when the weather was nice, unintentionally putting on a lovely show for the residents around him.
Terry is survived by his daughter, Patricia Tao of Cambridge, MA; wife, Ana Maria Garcia of Gloucester, MA; and brother, Jeffrey Tao, sister-in-law, Margaret Tao, and niece, Rachel Tao of New York, NY. He leaves behind many loving relatives and friends who knew him as a kind, intelligent, and overall good-natured man.
A special thank you goes to the wonderful staff at Belmont Manor for the exemplary care and compassion they showed Terry throughout his time there.
______________________________________
A memorial service will be held at a later date, when travel and gatherings are possible again. Memorial plans will be posted here on the “Events” page once finalized. In the meantime, we encourage you to share condolences, memories, and photographs on this site to celebrate Terry’s life. Comments can be included below, and photographs can be shared below or on the “Mementos” page.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to causes supporting the ongoing battle against COVID-19, and especially to the frontline healthcare workers. A few are suggested below, or feel free to support a cause closer to your community.
Another ongoing way to honor Terry’s life would be to donate to the Museum of Science in Boston to share his love of science with the young and young at heart: https://engage.mos.org/sciencematters/
COVID19-related Funds:
#GetUsPPE Fund: https://getusppe.org/donate/
MA COVID19 Relief Fund: https://www.macovid19relieffund.org/
Off Their Plate: https://offtheirplate.org/
MA Nurses Fund: https://www.massnurses.org/health-and-safety/current-topics/donate-to-protect-ma-nurses

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Terence Tao 陶知章 Obituary | Keeper Memorials