MARK CHRISTOPHER HSIAO

Written in loving memory by Elaine P. Hsiao

Dr. Mark C. Hsiao of Tracy, California was killed in a horrible and tragic plane crash July 8, 2003 near Chicago, Illinois. He is survived by his parents Christopher and Beatrice Hsiao; younger sister Elaine; younger brother Michael; “favorite nephew” Nicholas; girlfriend of 2½ years Adelyn Hu; and many other family members and friends.

Born in Chicago on May 12, 1965, Mark always had a remarkable thirst for knowledge. He continuously excelled in school and rarely got into trouble. His childhood interests included building and launching model rockets, playing piano and violin, golfing, swimming, and running. He was a gentle child that grew into an honest, patient, gentle, and very smart man. With a strong sense of family instilled in him by his mother, Mark took responsibility for his younger sister and brother, even in adulthood. With love and only the best intentions, he mentored, guided, and protected them their entire lives.

After graduating high school with honors, Mark attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. After only three years, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry. Mark then continued on to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, proudly earning his Ph.D. in chemistry. The determination in whatever he pursued was noted and admired by many. Everywhere Mark went, he was able to make friends and develop solid and life-long relationships with others. Even more remarkably, he was able to strengthen and continue building these relationships despite moving away. His relationship with his family only became stronger despite their physical distance.

From Chicago to Texas, and then to Wisconsin, Mark moved to California for a post-doctoral position at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Mark worked very hard professionally. His dedication continued when he later went to work for Applied Komatsu/Applied Materials. He devoted many long hours and weekends to work, all the while making it look so easy. Mark got along with all kinds of people and he really had a positive impact on everyone who knew him. Overseas colleagues were comfortable enough to call and wake him in the middle of the night at home, seeking work-related help. Mark, who would be happy to help, was modest and never expected any thanks or even acknowledgement for his kind acts. He was always supportive and encouraging to his family, many friends, and co-workers.

Since coming to California, Mark lived in Livermore, Fremont, Mountain View and San Jose. In 2001, he bought a house and moved to Tracy with family members. Despite his daily commute to San Jose, Mark still found time to discover Tracy and he liked living there. He appreciated the area for both flying and running.

In addition to being extremely intelligent, Mark was an accomplished athlete. Since he was 13 years old, Mark ran a minimum of 5 miles every day. Illness, adverse weather, or vacations could not stop him. He never missed a day. He was always challenging himself to run faster and for longer periods of time. Just one month prior to his accident, Mark ran the Suzuki Rock ‘N Roll Marathon in San Diego at his best time yet—3 hours 29 minutes. Not only was he a runner, he was an avid swimmer, biker, snow skier, jet skier, golfer, and hiker who enjoyed lifting weights and keeping himself fit. He was always expanding his athletic abilities and activities; he was never afraid to try something new and he encouraged those around him to do the same.

Mark also loved to fly. As a child, he would fly his model rockets and pretend he was an astronaut. As he got older, he dreamed of flying. In 1996, he got his pilot’s license and was so excited. He was driven to learn as much as he could about flying and airplanes. He enrolled in flight school to further his training and he joined various flying clubs and groups. He dreamed of eventually building his own airplane and flying it all around the country. Last year, Mark bought his first airplane, a Cessna 150L and treasured it. Everyone who knew Mark, knew that they were invited to go fly with him anytime. Mark would proudly show his plane to anyone who would ask. His friends trusted him to take their young children up for flights that would sometimes last over an hour. His enthusiasm was infectious. Mark used to take his nephew Nicholas flying after school almost once a week. Nicholas loved to go and he so enjoyed this special time alone with his uncle up in the sky.

The week before his accident, Mark embarked on a trip of a lifetime. For two days, he flew his single-engine airplane approximately 2000 miles to Chicago, finally arriving on the night of July 2. He was so proud to have accomplished such a flight solo. He spent the next few days visiting with family who had already arrived from Tracy. In the late morning of July 8, Mark dropped off his parents and other family members at the mall and went to go check on his airplane. There had been a severe hail storm earlier that morning and he wanted to assess any damage to his plane. He never came back to pick them up. Apparently Mark decided to take the plane up for a quick flight, as he often did. At 1:24 pm, Mark’s plane crashed after takeoff about a quarter mile from the Schaumburg airport runway. Mark and his beloved airplane were engulfed in flames by the subsequent fire. Mark was the only fatality. In fact, no one else was involved or hurt in the crash. Mark’s last act on earth characterized how he lived in consideration of others; according to aviation experts and witnesses, Mark was maneuvering the aircraft to avoid all the homes, highways, and commuter train that surrounded the grassy area where he ultimately crashed.

Services for Mark were held July 13-15, 2003 in Buffalo Grove, where Mark grew up. A memorial service in California is being planned for September 5, 2003 at 12:30 pm at the First Baptist Church of Los Altos.

Losing Mark has been extremely painful for his family and all who knew him. The suffering is unbearable. As the shock wears off, reality will set in and events surrounding his death will be revisited again and again. It will be a long time before loved ones can focus on the way Mark lived instead of the way he died. To all who knew him and those who had yet to meet him, the death of this smart, energetic, and kind person is an insurmountable loss.