Ode to Joseph
Accident claims life of Edgemont man read the headline of the Scarsdale Inquirer. Joseph Chow, the son of Dr. Raymond Chow and Donna Robertson of Edgemont. Joseph, I didn’t know you and yet I can’t stop thinking about you. Thoughts of you, and your parents have accompanied me during my waking hours these past three days. A rock climbing accident in Tanzania while you served in the Peace Corps. You were to complete your service in November, only a few weeks away, the article explains. 23 years of age. Only 23.
A long time ago, I was 24, only one year older than you, Joseph, when I left my home to serve in the Peace Corp. I had wanted to go to Africa, but my parents opposed it. Africa was too far away, and to them, a scary unknown. I ended up in South America; Temuco, Chile and worked in an Hogared de Menores – a Children’s Home, a de facto orphanage. You also worked with children, Joseph, in the Ndanda Secondary School, where they say you had a passion for teaching and for your students.
Ah yes, I can remember the passion… a feeling that sprang from the depth of your soul, from some unknown origin; guiding, prompting, relentless; allowing us to see beauty where initially we were wrenched by poverty and deprivation. The article continues describing you Joseph as “active creative and charming… always willing to lend a helping hand, to work, to play to contribute to (your) community.” What an extraordinary young man you must have been. I would have liked to have known you. How proud your parents must have been and continue to be. And how great and deep their loss and inconsolable their sorrow.
This once idealistic youth is now a mother whose own eldest child will soon be 20. Thinking of you Joseph, these past days, has reminded me of how special that time was in my life. It was a time of adventure, of great challenge and even greater achievement, of making a difference… and of life long bonds and friendship and love… bonds which you will now carry to your grave. Your students and fellow Peace Corp Volunteers will never forget you. I have no doubt that you will be etched into their hearts and minds forever. Certainly those last months of your life would have been counted as among your best. I too remember. The were months of joy, laughter, camaraderie, travel, adventure and service… You lived life to the fullest. You had it all - a great education, a great home, talent and you did something that few ever do – you gave back. You gave all that you were so that others could have a better life. And now, your passion, your dedication, and your youthful zeal will be immortalized.
The words of a Persian Baha’i mystic grieving over the loss of a much loved youth comes to mind:
“Where now is thy fair face? Where is thy fluent tongue?... Where are thy beauteous eyes? Thy smiling lips…” “Thou has left the lamp that was thy body here, the glass that was thy human form, thy earthly elements, thy way of life below.
“oh my dear one. Thou art now a bird of Heaven, thou hast quit thine earthly nest, and soared away to a garden of holiness. Thou art become a star in the supernal sky and a lamp amid the angels of High heaven…”
(selections of the Writings of Abdul-Baha)
Dear Joseph, I never knew you, but I will never forget you.
Kate Weisman
Monday September 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Joseph's email November 29 2006 There are those who shy away from challenges and those who travel 9,000 miles looking for them
Joseph did not tell us about his application until right before his 21st bday on October 10. I was interviewing for new jobs and had a interview in Ct on Ocober 11. I drove straight from the interview to see Joe, I thought his friends would take him out on the 10th (thank you Alec, he had a great time! and loved the beer). So on the 11th I took him out to dinner and we talked about the peace corp. He was so happy to be 21, and an adult and to have so many friends; he was bubbling during dinner. I told him the Peace Corp was not a good idea for him; where would he practice the piano; or the organ, and there was very little water in Peace Corp sites. He told me that he had just applied and the Peace Corp was very selective. No worries. At Thanksgiving he came home and told us that his interivew was the next week, we thought. Apparantly the interview was before Thanksgiving, because this email came right after Thanksgiving.
I think I sent this to my family with the byline "What every mother wants to hear"
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
[mailto:SDelaney@peacecorps.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 1:42 PM
To: Joseph Chow 07
Cc: 'Paul St. John Frisoli'
Subject: RE: Your Peace Corps Application
Joseph,
Congratulations! You have been nominated to the Secondary Education Science - Chemistry Teaching assignment leaving for Sub-Sahara Africa in June 2007.
Sub Sahara Africa Region includes the following countries: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia
Now you will receive a packet from the Office of Medical Services in the next 5-10 business days. Be sure to get going with these forms and turn them around at your earliest convenience. Once you are medically cleared you will hear from Placement 6- 8 weeks before your program departure date regarding your formal invitation - this can happen sooner but it depends on when you are medically cleared.
Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me. I have also copied your Recruiter Paul Frisoli on this email.
Susanne Delaney
Recruitment Coordinator, RPCV, Paraguay 1994-96
New England Regional Peace Corps Office
10 Causeway Street, Room 450
Boston, MA 02222-1099
Phone: 617 565-5548
Fax: 617 565-5539
Email: sdelaney@peacecorps.gov
"There are those who shy away from challenges and those who travel 9,000 miles looking for them"
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
2006 draft paper from an email
Storytelling is a major part of the human experience, and the myths, histories, and legends which are passed down through generations form the basis of every society. Communities are defined by their shared knowledge and ideas, and the stories people tell each to each other reflect the values and beliefs which their culture rests upon; it is impossible to talk about the way a society is constructed without closely examining its mythology. In the modern world history has a special importance, and Ninian Smart writes in Worldviews, “It is now common to think of history in national terms…using modern political groupings to define the past…history is not just a matter of the scholarly investigation of the past; it also allows a people to form a national identity.”
She believes that the stories of a communal past have political effects today; in the United States the naming of warships after former presidents is an example of the link between power and history. Myths, too, have the same affect despite speaking through symbolic language, and today struggle between scientists and creationists is an example of the politicization of two beliefs. Smart talked about religions in broad terms as “worldviews,” belief systems which contained their own histories and myths. Politics, the practice of power, is related to religion and other worldviews because government is merely an extension of society with all its values and ideals; from this perspective, the Enlightenment effort to separate religion and politics was the expression of competing ideologies, Christianity and rationalism. In Japan political leaders fused separate but compatible religions into a single worldview, Shinto, in order to prevent strife and civil war. The Kojiki represents the nations Izumo and Yamato are by their gods, the younger brother Susano and older sister Amateratsu. These texts are closely linked to political struggles, but they also transcend the realm of tangible power and are key texts in Japanese and Chinese religion.
Yasumaro wrote the Kojiki at the bequest of the Emperor, who wanted to correct the myths which were recorded in previous texts, saying,
She believes that the stories of a communal past have political effects today; in the United States the naming of warships after former presidents is an example of the link between power and history. Myths, too, have the same affect despite speaking through symbolic language, and today struggle between scientists and creationists is an example of the politicization of two beliefs. Smart talked about religions in broad terms as “worldviews,” belief systems which contained their own histories and myths. Politics, the practice of power, is related to religion and other worldviews because government is merely an extension of society with all its values and ideals; from this perspective, the Enlightenment effort to separate religion and politics was the expression of competing ideologies, Christianity and rationalism. In Japan political leaders fused separate but compatible religions into a single worldview, Shinto, in order to prevent strife and civil war. The Kojiki represents the nations Izumo and Yamato are by their gods, the younger brother Susano and older sister Amateratsu. These texts are closely linked to political struggles, but they also transcend the realm of tangible power and are key texts in Japanese and Chinese religion.
Yasumaro wrote the Kojiki at the bequest of the Emperor, who wanted to correct the myths which were recorded in previous texts, saying,
“I hear that the Teiki (imperial chronicles) and the Honji (fundamental dicta) handed down by the various houses have come to differ from the truth and that many falsehoods have been added to them. If these errors are not remedied at this time, their meaning will be lost before many years have passed. This is the framework of the state, the great foundation of the imperial influence.
”This passage suggests that the Teiki and Honji were religious documents handed down by vassals who had previously been independent, and the effort to “correct” them is an attempt to change the subject religions in order to fit in with a new worldview which is more conducive to imperial rule. In facilitating political unification, however, the Kojiki asserts that all its peoples share common roots, and that there is an underlying national spirit beneath all the outer customs and rites. The account begins at the creation of the world and ends in the reign of the Emperor Woparida, a historical figure. This mixture of legend and fact is also expressed in the identity of the characters; the first figure we encounter is the high god Izanagi, who gives birth to the sun god Amatersau and the sea god Susano, among others. Izanagi then fades into the background and the myth focuses on his progeny; several chapters later the main character is Yamato-takeru, a warrior who is powerful but mortal. Yamato eventually dies of an illness. As legend melds into fact in the Kojiki the characters become less divine, so that the tale makes a connection between legend and history at all times; the people of each region are somehow related to a god.
The chapters in the Kojiki are often disjointed and there does not appear to be any overarching plot; the text is a compilation of myths rather than a unified, individual story. Characters appear and disappear without a trace
The exact status of the Japanese divinities, or kamis, is unclear, and they seem to be more powerful than men but not immortal. The character Wo-usu-no-mikoto, later christened Yamato-takeru-no-miko, for example, is a powerful figure who fights with various demons and monsters, but also dies from sickness and exhaustion after fighting a sacred white boar. Yamato seems to be identified with the Yamato Empire whose rulers ordered that the Kijoko be written, and his violence could be a representation of the state’s power. Yamato is more like a force of nature than a man as his motivations remain hidden, and he seems to kill for no reason. Even the emperor fears him after Yamato explains his brother’s absence, “Early in the morning when he went into the privy, I waited and captured him, grasped him and crushed him, then pulled off his limbs, and wrapping them in a straw mat, threw them away.This terrifies the emperor, who gives him a quest in order to get him out of the capital. Once he is on his own Yamato rampages across the country; armed with the sacred sword kusa-nagi he kills any and all who cross him. After losing an encounter with the white boar he dies from sickness and exhaustion, singing about his beautiful homeland. The great, chaotic Yamato’s place in the pantheon of Japanese gods is unclear and he might personify the strength and terror of the empire.
Two centuries later this idea of a common link among the various deities across Japan had been solidified, as demonstrated in this tenth century Shinto prayer which echoes the Kojiki; the kami Ame-no-ho-hi-no-mikoto came down to heaven to rule Izumo and finds it in disarray. The Kojiki refers to Izumo as the “central land of the reed plains,”
By the tenth century the gods of each local shrine were all related somehow and each had a place in a divine bureaucracy, indicating how Shinto had standardized Japanese religion. This religion went hand in hand with a powerful Heian empire and this prayer is dedicated to the health of the emperor; however Japan experienced many political changes in the years between the Kojiki and this text and some of the tenets of Shinto must have had some impact on Japanese culture. The compilation of myths in the seventh century created a worldview which resonated in a lasting way with societies across Japan
This is my windows picture. It was taken the summer of 2006 at Daniel's eagle scout award dinner. After the dinner we took everyone out to the site who had worked on it (from family and friends) and took the picture. I look at it every day. That summer was perhaps Joe's busiest. He was still maintaining training for swimming, working in the lab, coaching the swim team, taking an introductory bio course at Pace University, and studying for the mcats's. And of course working on his brother's eagle scout project, going into the city with friends and generally being a 20 year old kid. I loved every moment of being his mother, and as he got older, it got more fun. That was a great summer.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas 2009
We went to visit Joseph's grave site today. The stone is of Chinese marble, and a Celtic cross is above his name and dates. A true Chirsihman. His name was Joseph Lawrence Hai-Sung Chow. Joseph was named after his grandfathers, Joe Chow and Lawrence Bennett Robertson. Hai-Sung; Michael Ray's older brother chose the sea - "Hai" as the theme of the generation. Joseph was conceived in Florida, and a water baby always. Hai-Sung, according to Ruby, his grandmother, means "born of the sea". It was a perfect name for the boy. He loved the water and swimming from the time he was an infant. And he carried all the hopes of both of his grandfathers. Also, he was born on October 10th, (10/10), a very auspicious day according to Ruby. A lucky boy, with so many gifts and so much family, love and hope given to him.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Joseph's AP physics car January 2003
Christmas Break 2001 -
For New Years we went skiing in upstate NY with our friends the Kelly's. It was cold, and overcast, but fun being with our family and friends. Late in the day on New Year's eve we were driving back from the mountain to our friends house and Joseph casually mentioned that he had a project for his Physics AP class. The project was to design a vehicle that will move x feet when propelled by a weight dropping, and having a braking mechanism. Mind you, this was Tuesday and the project was due on Friday, we were in the middle of nowhere upstate NY and all tthe useful stores were closed.
We got up early the next morning, drove home and Ray, Hynek and Joseph started fooling around in the garage. Building and testing (and going to school and work) for two days and came up with the above "car". I don't think the brakes worked all that well, but it was an interesting design. The wheels were old lp's the body of the car was a basket, the weight was one of my hand weights.
Joseph had done this before. In his 8th grade year I got a call from the science teacher at work. The teacher had given the class a semester long science project, and the next day they were having a poster session. Joseph had not handed in any work, and she did not think he had a project. I called him up, and indeed, he did not have a project. I told him that by the time I got home at 6:30 he had better have a head start on his poster. I came home, and had almost finished all the measurements (with the help of his brothers) for a poster presentation (with data) on physics, momentum, speed, light, particle physics etc. It actually turned out to be one of the better posters in the gym the next day.
As he got older, he learned to prepare and do the work, not just think about it until the last minute and rush things. Ray and I were so impressed in Africa - our adolescent son had turned into a self possessed thinking young man. He had really grown up.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tait's jounal
Friday, October 02, 2009
In honor of Joe Chow, PCV - Tanzania
I feel compelled to share this email as a member of the big and beautiful family known as Peace Corps, specifically Peace Corps Tanzania. It was written by my friend and fellow PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer), Leiha:
I just came back to Moshi this afternoon, got off the bus and hugged a new friend goodbye, for now. Her name is Leah, nice name huh? She's a short term volunteer here in Moshi. Normally I wouldn't cross paths with short term vols in Moshi town but today we just so happened to have met on the bus this afternoon coming from Dar. We caught up with each other at the lunch/rest stop. While chit-chatting a bit she made a comment about how someone once told her, "Don't wait til you're 65 to start living the life you wanted to try out." That's when I told her of a friend of mine who lived his life with such an intensity that there was nothing left to do but stand back and admire him.
My friend Joe Chow passed away last Tuesday. A fellow Education PCV, he was on school break and while visiting another friend of ours, fell while descending from a rock climb in Mbinga, Tanzania. I myself have climbed this same rock. It's not an easy climb, but do-able. His death was an accident in every sense of the word, nothing could have been changed, it happened. The reality of this is still hard to swallow.
The past week, being in Dar for his memorial, has been a blur of emotion and everything else. We were supposed to meet up and raft the Nile after he completed his service this November, we even talked about attempting another marathon together. I have many wonderful memories with Joe throughout our 2 years here in Tanzania. When Leah shared that story with me today at lunch, I felt an obligation to tell her I knew someone that didn't wait.
Joe lived his life with such a crazy intensity, a complete signature of his personality, that I'm finding myself not so much mourning the loss of the rest of his life, but standing back in admiration for all he did while he was here, alive. Yes, I miss him. I don't know when the reality of his absence will really settle in, or if it ever will. But isn't it our obligation as friends to take those we lose with us in life?
I never thought that the last time I saw him, waving through the window of the bus, I wouldn't meet up with him again in our lifetime. We never truly know, do we? But that's just it. We all will pass on one day. I just hope that in the meantime, we all live our lives to the fullest, happiest, most enriched we can. Life is a beautiful blessing, a gift we share and enjoy together. I am blessed to have been enriched by Joe's friendship in my life.
Thanks for reading this.
Leiha (PCV in the Pare Mountains)
Posted by Tait/Furaha at 1:47 AM 0 comments
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In honor of Joe Chow, PCV - Tanzania
I feel compelled to share this email as a member of the big and beautiful family known as Peace Corps, specifically Peace Corps Tanzania. It was written by my friend and fellow PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer), Leiha:
I just came back to Moshi this afternoon, got off the bus and hugged a new friend goodbye, for now. Her name is Leah, nice name huh? She's a short term volunteer here in Moshi. Normally I wouldn't cross paths with short term vols in Moshi town but today we just so happened to have met on the bus this afternoon coming from Dar. We caught up with each other at the lunch/rest stop. While chit-chatting a bit she made a comment about how someone once told her, "Don't wait til you're 65 to start living the life you wanted to try out." That's when I told her of a friend of mine who lived his life with such an intensity that there was nothing left to do but stand back and admire him.
My friend Joe Chow passed away last Tuesday. A fellow Education PCV, he was on school break and while visiting another friend of ours, fell while descending from a rock climb in Mbinga, Tanzania. I myself have climbed this same rock. It's not an easy climb, but do-able. His death was an accident in every sense of the word, nothing could have been changed, it happened. The reality of this is still hard to swallow.
The past week, being in Dar for his memorial, has been a blur of emotion and everything else. We were supposed to meet up and raft the Nile after he completed his service this November, we even talked about attempting another marathon together. I have many wonderful memories with Joe throughout our 2 years here in Tanzania. When Leah shared that story with me today at lunch, I felt an obligation to tell her I knew someone that didn't wait.
Joe lived his life with such a crazy intensity, a complete signature of his personality, that I'm finding myself not so much mourning the loss of the rest of his life, but standing back in admiration for all he did while he was here, alive. Yes, I miss him. I don't know when the reality of his absence will really settle in, or if it ever will. But isn't it our obligation as friends to take those we lose with us in life?
I never thought that the last time I saw him, waving through the window of the bus, I wouldn't meet up with him again in our lifetime. We never truly know, do we? But that's just it. We all will pass on one day. I just hope that in the meantime, we all live our lives to the fullest, happiest, most enriched we can. Life is a beautiful blessing, a gift we share and enjoy together. I am blessed to have been enriched by Joe's friendship in my life.
Thanks for reading this.
Leiha (PCV in the Pare Mountains)
Posted by Tait/Furaha at 1:47 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
Mom's letter to the Archbishop
Archbishop Dolan did take the time to respond - still have not heard from our parish priest. If anyone would like to know what is wrong with the Catholic Church in America I think this explains alot! These men r;unning the church are, for the most part, not human; I think they may think they are god though.
***********************************************************************************
November 19, 2009
The Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
Office of the Archbishop
1011 First Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Your Excellency:
I have received your correspondence of November 13, 2009 seeking my contribution to the Annual Appeal. As you probably have financial archives, you know that my family and I have been supporters of the Catholic Church in New York.
My husband and I had been active members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHM) parish, raising three sons that attended CCD classes and received all of their sacraments there. Indeed, my great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and siblings had also been active members of the IHM community, as my great grandparents moved to Scarsdale from Brooklyn in 1927. My grandmothers and mother were PTA presidents at IHM, and my parents, brothers, sister and I all attended IHM grammar school for nine years. I was baptized, received my first Holy Communion in the chapel in the Sisters of Charity residence (my grandparents had paid for the renovation of the house in the early 1960’s), confirmed and married in the parish. My great-grandparents, grandparents and parents all had their funeral masses there. I volunteered as a teacher in the CCD program and was happy to help with any other volunteer needs of the parish. Over five generations, the Chow’s, Robertson’s, O’Brien’s, Konvalinka’s and Bennett’s were active members of the IHM parish community and generous financial contributors to the New York Archdiocese and the parish. Seven generations of my family have been active Roman Catholic New York parishioners.
My immediate family has also been very active at Rosary Hill Nursing Home, and two of my sons attended Fordham Prep in the Bronx. My oldest son, Joseph, was very active in the Roman Catholic community at Amherst College, Massachusetts. Joseph was honored for his participation in the Catholic Community at Amherst by being invited to sit with His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Zen, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong at the 2007 graduation luncheon. At the luncheon the Bishop and Joseph found they shared a common ambition. Joseph had been accepted by the Peace Corp and was on his way to Kenya to teach science and math to high school students. His Excellency wanted to retire and teach students in Kenya.
Political unrest forced Joseph to spend the last two years in Tanzania teaching Physics, Chemistry and Calculus to junior college level students. Joseph knew that he had been blessed with so much, and thanks to his strong Catholic beliefs, he felt that he had a duty to give back. Joseph was an idealistic, Jesuit trained, “Man for Others”. Joseph was a scientist, a published author on several physiology papers, and was going to attend medical school. He felt that he had a good understanding of the medical science and a vocation to teach. Joseph was a classical pianist, an ancient Greek and Latin scholar, and an athlete. Unfortunately, Joseph passed away on September 22, 2009 in Tanzania (please see the enclosed press release).
The Director of the Peace Corp called us on Tuesday September 22, 2009. The next day we received a note and a Tanzanian carved cross from the rector of our local Episcopalian parish, who is a member of the Scarsdale community. The minister of the Mamaroneck Lutheran church visited sometime that week to offer words of consolation (he is the minister to a friend of mine that I have known since IHM). At least 1400 people attended Joseph’s wake, and a thousand people attended his funeral at the Fordham University Church, officiated by two of his high school teachers. A retired Maryknoll missionary (an old friend who we knew through the IHM parish) led a prayer service at the wake; at the end of the wake prayer service was led by the Dominican nuns and priest from Rosary Hill (Rosary Hill is actively supported by the IHM parish). At Joseph’s funeral a letter from the President of the United States was read and presented to us. The Senators from New York and Connecticut wrote notes as did several other ambassadors and officials. Friends, students and volunteers in other international organizations held separate services for him around the world. All had been touched by Joseph’s giving and enthusiastic service. Two scholarships in his name have received tens of thousands of dollars.
The purpose of this note is not to brag about my lost son, or to let you know about our gratitude to our local, national and international communities which have supported us through this very difficult time.
The purpose of this correspondence is to question: what happened to the clergy of IHM? We know that the parish clergy knew that Joseph died; it was reported in all of the local papers (see enclosed). Several of our friends who are still very active in the parish asked Monsignor John T. Ferry if he would visit our family; his response to one of our friends was that he was too busy, he was on his way to an anniversary of his graduating class (!?). Is there only one priest at IHM; have the clergy lost all sense of common decency? The parish secretary made a belated call to the funeral home to ask if we needed a priest to say a prayer, but the arrangements had been completed by the time we received the call. Recently I did receive a rather bizarre voice message asking if we would like to participate in the parish’s annual bereavement mass. Except for these very distant contacts, I have not received any notes of condolence from IHM parish clergy. I think the parish staff at IHM has made it very clear that we are not part of their community; although the monthly mailing asking for financial support has not stopped, and now I receive a note asking for me to further support the dioceses!
The literature reports that the loss of a child suddenly and unexpectedly in a distant land is just about the most traumatic life experience that can happen to a human being. All of our community support has been life sustaining for our family. The Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church, several of our local Jewish synagogues, even the President of the United States has reached out to us personally. What happened to our local parish? Unfortunately, at the age of 52, my eyes have been opened to just how little the parish community means to a Roman Catholic in the Archdiocese of New York. I still consider myself Roman Catholic, although I have started attending the local Episcopal Church when I cannot get to Rosary Hill or Fordham University for mass. Your archdiocese has failed us in what should have been a most basic parish, and human, duty.
Sincerely,
Donna A. Robertson-Chow, Ph.D.
cc: Most Reverend Gerald T. Walsh, D.D. (via email) sjs@dunwoodie.edu
Monsignor John T. Ferry
Pope Benedict XVI (via email) benedictxvi@vatican.va
***********************************************************************************
November 19, 2009
The Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
Office of the Archbishop
1011 First Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Your Excellency:
I have received your correspondence of November 13, 2009 seeking my contribution to the Annual Appeal. As you probably have financial archives, you know that my family and I have been supporters of the Catholic Church in New York.
My husband and I had been active members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHM) parish, raising three sons that attended CCD classes and received all of their sacraments there. Indeed, my great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and siblings had also been active members of the IHM community, as my great grandparents moved to Scarsdale from Brooklyn in 1927. My grandmothers and mother were PTA presidents at IHM, and my parents, brothers, sister and I all attended IHM grammar school for nine years. I was baptized, received my first Holy Communion in the chapel in the Sisters of Charity residence (my grandparents had paid for the renovation of the house in the early 1960’s), confirmed and married in the parish. My great-grandparents, grandparents and parents all had their funeral masses there. I volunteered as a teacher in the CCD program and was happy to help with any other volunteer needs of the parish. Over five generations, the Chow’s, Robertson’s, O’Brien’s, Konvalinka’s and Bennett’s were active members of the IHM parish community and generous financial contributors to the New York Archdiocese and the parish. Seven generations of my family have been active Roman Catholic New York parishioners.
My immediate family has also been very active at Rosary Hill Nursing Home, and two of my sons attended Fordham Prep in the Bronx. My oldest son, Joseph, was very active in the Roman Catholic community at Amherst College, Massachusetts. Joseph was honored for his participation in the Catholic Community at Amherst by being invited to sit with His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Zen, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong at the 2007 graduation luncheon. At the luncheon the Bishop and Joseph found they shared a common ambition. Joseph had been accepted by the Peace Corp and was on his way to Kenya to teach science and math to high school students. His Excellency wanted to retire and teach students in Kenya.
Political unrest forced Joseph to spend the last two years in Tanzania teaching Physics, Chemistry and Calculus to junior college level students. Joseph knew that he had been blessed with so much, and thanks to his strong Catholic beliefs, he felt that he had a duty to give back. Joseph was an idealistic, Jesuit trained, “Man for Others”. Joseph was a scientist, a published author on several physiology papers, and was going to attend medical school. He felt that he had a good understanding of the medical science and a vocation to teach. Joseph was a classical pianist, an ancient Greek and Latin scholar, and an athlete. Unfortunately, Joseph passed away on September 22, 2009 in Tanzania (please see the enclosed press release).
The Director of the Peace Corp called us on Tuesday September 22, 2009. The next day we received a note and a Tanzanian carved cross from the rector of our local Episcopalian parish, who is a member of the Scarsdale community. The minister of the Mamaroneck Lutheran church visited sometime that week to offer words of consolation (he is the minister to a friend of mine that I have known since IHM). At least 1400 people attended Joseph’s wake, and a thousand people attended his funeral at the Fordham University Church, officiated by two of his high school teachers. A retired Maryknoll missionary (an old friend who we knew through the IHM parish) led a prayer service at the wake; at the end of the wake prayer service was led by the Dominican nuns and priest from Rosary Hill (Rosary Hill is actively supported by the IHM parish). At Joseph’s funeral a letter from the President of the United States was read and presented to us. The Senators from New York and Connecticut wrote notes as did several other ambassadors and officials. Friends, students and volunteers in other international organizations held separate services for him around the world. All had been touched by Joseph’s giving and enthusiastic service. Two scholarships in his name have received tens of thousands of dollars.
The purpose of this note is not to brag about my lost son, or to let you know about our gratitude to our local, national and international communities which have supported us through this very difficult time.
The purpose of this correspondence is to question: what happened to the clergy of IHM? We know that the parish clergy knew that Joseph died; it was reported in all of the local papers (see enclosed). Several of our friends who are still very active in the parish asked Monsignor John T. Ferry if he would visit our family; his response to one of our friends was that he was too busy, he was on his way to an anniversary of his graduating class (!?). Is there only one priest at IHM; have the clergy lost all sense of common decency? The parish secretary made a belated call to the funeral home to ask if we needed a priest to say a prayer, but the arrangements had been completed by the time we received the call. Recently I did receive a rather bizarre voice message asking if we would like to participate in the parish’s annual bereavement mass. Except for these very distant contacts, I have not received any notes of condolence from IHM parish clergy. I think the parish staff at IHM has made it very clear that we are not part of their community; although the monthly mailing asking for financial support has not stopped, and now I receive a note asking for me to further support the dioceses!
The literature reports that the loss of a child suddenly and unexpectedly in a distant land is just about the most traumatic life experience that can happen to a human being. All of our community support has been life sustaining for our family. The Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church, several of our local Jewish synagogues, even the President of the United States has reached out to us personally. What happened to our local parish? Unfortunately, at the age of 52, my eyes have been opened to just how little the parish community means to a Roman Catholic in the Archdiocese of New York. I still consider myself Roman Catholic, although I have started attending the local Episcopal Church when I cannot get to Rosary Hill or Fordham University for mass. Your archdiocese has failed us in what should have been a most basic parish, and human, duty.
Sincerely,
Donna A. Robertson-Chow, Ph.D.
cc: Most Reverend Gerald T. Walsh, D.D. (via email) sjs@dunwoodie.edu
Monsignor John T. Ferry
Pope Benedict XVI (via email) benedictxvi@vatican.va
Friday, December 18, 2009
September 23, 2009 Daniel Facebook
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 12:07pm
My Brother Joseph… what to say? I can’t even begin to tell you how close we were. I like to think that Kyle, Joe, and I were as close as brothers can be. When we were little we did everything together. There were fights, but on the whole we always got along. I played the annoying little brother to a T throughout are childhood, and he always put up with me. In fact, one of my favorite stories about him and I was one that I was too young to remember. Joseph was building a puzzle in our old apartment, but could not seem to find several of the pieces. Then my mother saw me running along with something in my hand and said, “Hey Daniel, what you got there?” With a devilish grin I opened my hand to reveal the missing pieces. Apparently there is a video of it somewhere, but I am not sure I will ever be able to watch it now that he is gone.
I can’t even say or think the word dead, whenever I hear that word I cannot hold it together. My Dad keeps repeating the phrase “Joseph, my Joseph” to himself and it feels like knives to me… I can’t really face it yet. I can act normal when I don’t think of everything as final, which is easy to do since Joseph has been away for such a long time that it got to the point where it seemed normal to me if I didn’t hear from him for a month or two. It never had the feeling of finality though. I was so excited to see him again in December. I talked to him just last week and told him he should spend the winter with my friends and I out in Jackson Hole. I can’t believe I miss him so much already… it doesn’t seem real. I keep picturing his accident, but can’t seem to wrap my head around it. I know that it happens, in fact we read about death daily, but I never thought it could happen so close to home. I guess I thought about myself dying quite often in the last year. After my car crash, life seemed so much shorter and uncontrollable then it had beforehand, but that was in relation to my own life. I never applied those thoughts to my brothers, who have always been so much less accident-prone then myself. How did he fall? If I was there could I have stopped him, or prevented it somehow? I don’t have any guilt for not being there, which would be pointless, but I am curious. I have much more experience in the outdoors than he did, and was perhaps more cautious in some ways (as unlikely as that sounds). Also, even though he was my big brother, I still felt like I was responsible for him in some ways… on Kilimanjaro I kept a close eye on Kyle and Joe for any signs of altitude sickness. I was worried about Joseph a few times since he felt sick, and almost was to the point of making him turn around, but it turned out to just be a stomach virus that passed and left him fine for the summit day. I was so happy that we all made the high point that day, and it was a moment of true achievement that I accomplished with both my brothers. Since we all split for different colleges these moments were rare… and I never really got to say goodbye to him.
I was so proud that Joseph had made it into the Peace Corps, which is not an easy application process, and I told everyone that I would listen about it. My parents were not thrilled with the idea, but they knew it was what he wanted to do. I think that it was really an experience that allowed him to grow into himself more. Although I would give anything if he had never gone to Africa. Nothing that has happened takes away what he did there though; I believe that he did good work while he was there.
I don’t really know where to go from here, but the process will take a while. I don’t really know why I am putting this out there, but writing something seemed to help a little. Maybe it is to let people know a little about him? How he was a kind, loving, devoted brother and son. How he wanted to make a difference in the world. I guess most of all this is just an attempt to talk to him. In that vain of thought, Joseph, I miss you more than I can say already, I loved you more then I ever told you, and I pray that there is an afterlife so that I can tell you face to face someday.
Love,
Daniel
My Brother Joseph… what to say? I can’t even begin to tell you how close we were. I like to think that Kyle, Joe, and I were as close as brothers can be. When we were little we did everything together. There were fights, but on the whole we always got along. I played the annoying little brother to a T throughout are childhood, and he always put up with me. In fact, one of my favorite stories about him and I was one that I was too young to remember. Joseph was building a puzzle in our old apartment, but could not seem to find several of the pieces. Then my mother saw me running along with something in my hand and said, “Hey Daniel, what you got there?” With a devilish grin I opened my hand to reveal the missing pieces. Apparently there is a video of it somewhere, but I am not sure I will ever be able to watch it now that he is gone.
I can’t even say or think the word dead, whenever I hear that word I cannot hold it together. My Dad keeps repeating the phrase “Joseph, my Joseph” to himself and it feels like knives to me… I can’t really face it yet. I can act normal when I don’t think of everything as final, which is easy to do since Joseph has been away for such a long time that it got to the point where it seemed normal to me if I didn’t hear from him for a month or two. It never had the feeling of finality though. I was so excited to see him again in December. I talked to him just last week and told him he should spend the winter with my friends and I out in Jackson Hole. I can’t believe I miss him so much already… it doesn’t seem real. I keep picturing his accident, but can’t seem to wrap my head around it. I know that it happens, in fact we read about death daily, but I never thought it could happen so close to home. I guess I thought about myself dying quite often in the last year. After my car crash, life seemed so much shorter and uncontrollable then it had beforehand, but that was in relation to my own life. I never applied those thoughts to my brothers, who have always been so much less accident-prone then myself. How did he fall? If I was there could I have stopped him, or prevented it somehow? I don’t have any guilt for not being there, which would be pointless, but I am curious. I have much more experience in the outdoors than he did, and was perhaps more cautious in some ways (as unlikely as that sounds). Also, even though he was my big brother, I still felt like I was responsible for him in some ways… on Kilimanjaro I kept a close eye on Kyle and Joe for any signs of altitude sickness. I was worried about Joseph a few times since he felt sick, and almost was to the point of making him turn around, but it turned out to just be a stomach virus that passed and left him fine for the summit day. I was so happy that we all made the high point that day, and it was a moment of true achievement that I accomplished with both my brothers. Since we all split for different colleges these moments were rare… and I never really got to say goodbye to him.
I was so proud that Joseph had made it into the Peace Corps, which is not an easy application process, and I told everyone that I would listen about it. My parents were not thrilled with the idea, but they knew it was what he wanted to do. I think that it was really an experience that allowed him to grow into himself more. Although I would give anything if he had never gone to Africa. Nothing that has happened takes away what he did there though; I believe that he did good work while he was there.
I don’t really know where to go from here, but the process will take a while. I don’t really know why I am putting this out there, but writing something seemed to help a little. Maybe it is to let people know a little about him? How he was a kind, loving, devoted brother and son. How he wanted to make a difference in the world. I guess most of all this is just an attempt to talk to him. In that vain of thought, Joseph, I miss you more than I can say already, I loved you more then I ever told you, and I pray that there is an afterlife so that I can tell you face to face someday.
Love,
Daniel
September 18, 2009 - Joseph's last Journal entry
Joseph carried his paper journal on his last trip, and wrote one final entry on the 18th:
"Over a year but all my entries are on my computer. I'm in Mbinga now, in the southwest, about to go to my friend's village.
I spent the last three days crossing "the worst road in Tanzania" - The Masas-Songea route. Passing through Tunduru Wednesday morning I passed by Abbey Secondary School on the way out of site. Abbey is run by the church, and my boss wanted me to look into putting an IT Volunteer there this December. Met a Father Augustine who I guess is the headmaster. Abbey much bigger than I imagined.
Trip to Tunduru was uneventful - thank God I am not doing it again thought. The area is poor, I traveled for 6 hours and did not see a single power line. Tunduru itself is a transit town, like Masasi. Next morning our bus was broken, so I didn't get to leave for awhile. By the time the Konda informed us all the other buses were goen, but I managed to track down a lorry. Most uncomfortable 8 hours of my life - but I split my ipod with Ana. Afterwards. she found a hotel for me in Songea. Today another tough trip, sitting on the floor of a packed zoasta(?)."
"Over a year but all my entries are on my computer. I'm in Mbinga now, in the southwest, about to go to my friend's village.
I spent the last three days crossing "the worst road in Tanzania" - The Masas-Songea route. Passing through Tunduru Wednesday morning I passed by Abbey Secondary School on the way out of site. Abbey is run by the church, and my boss wanted me to look into putting an IT Volunteer there this December. Met a Father Augustine who I guess is the headmaster. Abbey much bigger than I imagined.
Trip to Tunduru was uneventful - thank God I am not doing it again thought. The area is poor, I traveled for 6 hours and did not see a single power line. Tunduru itself is a transit town, like Masasi. Next morning our bus was broken, so I didn't get to leave for awhile. By the time the Konda informed us all the other buses were goen, but I managed to track down a lorry. Most uncomfortable 8 hours of my life - but I split my ipod with Ana. Afterwards. she found a hotel for me in Songea. Today another tough trip, sitting on the floor of a packed zoasta(?)."
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Amherst College Magazine Winter 2009-2010
In Memoriam – Joseph Lawrence Chow ‘07
Joseph Lawrence Chow ’07 died tragically on September 22, 2009, while hiking in the southern region of Tanzania. He was serving in the Peace Corps as a teacher at the Ndanda Secondary School, and had aspired to apply to medical school in the future.
At Amherst, “Speedy” Joe was a devoted member of both the Swimming and Diving and Water Polo teams. His teammates recall that although he was never the fastest swimmer, he was far and away the most determined. He was a unifying force on the team and his dedication was a critical part of the team’s success. Joe’s enthusiasm was ubiquitous; he always gave 110% and drove everyone else to do the same. A genuine scholar outside of the pool, Joe double-majored in Chemistry and History while maintaining his rigorous training schedule. Joe was best known on campus for his witty sarcasm, blunt honesty, quirky mannerisms, love of “awesomely bad” movies, and his infectious smile.
After graduating, Joe left for Kenya with the Peace Corps, but was relocated to Tanzania in the wake of the post-election conflict. Once there, Joe taught introductory college level physics and calculus, and adjusted quickly to a new culture, language and education system. In addition, Joe spearheaded HIV/AIDS awareness and testing programs in his community, and found time to teach his students swimming lessons as well as train with the cross country team.
In everything he did, Joe brought a level of commitment and effort which was without parallel. He demanded an incredible amount from himself, expected no less from his peers, and brought out the best in all of us. He was never one to miss out on life’s opportunities, from small treasures like an Italian Combo at an Arthur Ave. deli, to the Peace Corps itself. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and the Amherst community. Joe is survived by his parents, Dr. Raymond Chow and Dr. Donna Robertson-Chow, and his younger brothers, Daniel and Kyle.
John Ancona ’07, Adam Kaplan ’07 and Mark Yarchoan ’07
Joseph Lawrence Chow ’07 died tragically on September 22, 2009, while hiking in the southern region of Tanzania. He was serving in the Peace Corps as a teacher at the Ndanda Secondary School, and had aspired to apply to medical school in the future.
At Amherst, “Speedy” Joe was a devoted member of both the Swimming and Diving and Water Polo teams. His teammates recall that although he was never the fastest swimmer, he was far and away the most determined. He was a unifying force on the team and his dedication was a critical part of the team’s success. Joe’s enthusiasm was ubiquitous; he always gave 110% and drove everyone else to do the same. A genuine scholar outside of the pool, Joe double-majored in Chemistry and History while maintaining his rigorous training schedule. Joe was best known on campus for his witty sarcasm, blunt honesty, quirky mannerisms, love of “awesomely bad” movies, and his infectious smile.
After graduating, Joe left for Kenya with the Peace Corps, but was relocated to Tanzania in the wake of the post-election conflict. Once there, Joe taught introductory college level physics and calculus, and adjusted quickly to a new culture, language and education system. In addition, Joe spearheaded HIV/AIDS awareness and testing programs in his community, and found time to teach his students swimming lessons as well as train with the cross country team.
In everything he did, Joe brought a level of commitment and effort which was without parallel. He demanded an incredible amount from himself, expected no less from his peers, and brought out the best in all of us. He was never one to miss out on life’s opportunities, from small treasures like an Italian Combo at an Arthur Ave. deli, to the Peace Corps itself. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and the Amherst community. Joe is survived by his parents, Dr. Raymond Chow and Dr. Donna Robertson-Chow, and his younger brothers, Daniel and Kyle.
John Ancona ’07, Adam Kaplan ’07 and Mark Yarchoan ’07
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Humphrey's eulogy Septeber 2009 in Ndanda
riday, September 25, 2009
Demise of My Friend Joseph Chaw
Shock, Darkness, silence, wonder, hands on cheeks, shudder, shaking lips that propel tears to flow down the face, astonishment and other such fill Ndanda and Tanzania after the news struck ground of the demise of our Joseph.
In that box, At a tender age of about 23, Lies a great Swimmer, Educationist, Upcoming Scientists and mathematician of our time, Positive minded friend, writer, reader and listener, debater, Teacher and all-seasoned company, a fellow volunteer whom though we route from different continents but decided to offer our skills and change lives for no-pay but survival to make sure we bring about sustainable transformation in Africa.
Though I am VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas) and Joe WAS American peace Corp, volunteering and making sure we make a difference unified us and was the pivot reason why we all met in Ndanda. Joe and I only saw each other that Thursday the 18th Sept 2009 evening when you visited my house in search of information (as was your character) this time to go for holiday and one of the destinations was white water rafting in not only my country Uganda but Jinja where I am born. I was glad to get you the route-map and contacts to Uganda. Little did I know the inevitable visitor (death) was just knocking and was stationed just up that mountain in Mbinga village where you found him.
I remember all the time we shared most so when whenever the gallant peace corps in the area came to visit, you cooked from my house, shared the internet, watched movies in my house, shared books, remember when we sat till late ours during the OBAMA debates, with the Dutch Dr. Francijn Van Eeklen and the Scottish volunteer Dian Milan and many more. The swimming lessons you gave us in Mtwara, the stories you told us about JF-Kennedy (RIP) and other Americans, Running and mountain climbing, to mention but a few.
Piet Hein Meckmann the Hospital Administrator of St. Benedict’s Hospital, Dr. Mia Hensburg of St. Benedicts Hospital, Suzan Held Germany Pharmacist, Rashmi Choudry the Indian social worker at the Ndanda parish, Elias and Bernice, Cristiana Cavareli and Family the Inter-team volunteers from Switzland where all shocked by the news of your demise.
We want to take this honor to pass on our condolences to the Parents of Joseph (Who hoped in their son to take on the mantle from where they would leave it), the President of the United States, The Senator of the state of New York, The Management, staff and fellow volunteer community of American Peace corps, the Headmaster, fellow staff and students of Ndanda Secondary school (where Joseph taught Physics and Mathematics) friends, colleagues and all that knew Joseph that people will never remember you for the time you live but what you do while you live.
GOOD NIGHT JOSEPH AND MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN ETERNITY.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY-Ugandan Motto
Demise of My Friend Joseph Chaw
Shock, Darkness, silence, wonder, hands on cheeks, shudder, shaking lips that propel tears to flow down the face, astonishment and other such fill Ndanda and Tanzania after the news struck ground of the demise of our Joseph.
In that box, At a tender age of about 23, Lies a great Swimmer, Educationist, Upcoming Scientists and mathematician of our time, Positive minded friend, writer, reader and listener, debater, Teacher and all-seasoned company, a fellow volunteer whom though we route from different continents but decided to offer our skills and change lives for no-pay but survival to make sure we bring about sustainable transformation in Africa.
Though I am VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas) and Joe WAS American peace Corp, volunteering and making sure we make a difference unified us and was the pivot reason why we all met in Ndanda. Joe and I only saw each other that Thursday the 18th Sept 2009 evening when you visited my house in search of information (as was your character) this time to go for holiday and one of the destinations was white water rafting in not only my country Uganda but Jinja where I am born. I was glad to get you the route-map and contacts to Uganda. Little did I know the inevitable visitor (death) was just knocking and was stationed just up that mountain in Mbinga village where you found him.
I remember all the time we shared most so when whenever the gallant peace corps in the area came to visit, you cooked from my house, shared the internet, watched movies in my house, shared books, remember when we sat till late ours during the OBAMA debates, with the Dutch Dr. Francijn Van Eeklen and the Scottish volunteer Dian Milan and many more. The swimming lessons you gave us in Mtwara, the stories you told us about JF-Kennedy (RIP) and other Americans, Running and mountain climbing, to mention but a few.
Piet Hein Meckmann the Hospital Administrator of St. Benedict’s Hospital, Dr. Mia Hensburg of St. Benedicts Hospital, Suzan Held Germany Pharmacist, Rashmi Choudry the Indian social worker at the Ndanda parish, Elias and Bernice, Cristiana Cavareli and Family the Inter-team volunteers from Switzland where all shocked by the news of your demise.
We want to take this honor to pass on our condolences to the Parents of Joseph (Who hoped in their son to take on the mantle from where they would leave it), the President of the United States, The Senator of the state of New York, The Management, staff and fellow volunteer community of American Peace corps, the Headmaster, fellow staff and students of Ndanda Secondary school (where Joseph taught Physics and Mathematics) friends, colleagues and all that knew Joseph that people will never remember you for the time you live but what you do while you live.
GOOD NIGHT JOSEPH AND MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN ETERNITY.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY-Ugandan Motto
Friday, December 11, 2009
10-4-2009 Ray's talk
When Joseph died, everything was black. I now know that you can die of a broken heart. We could not sleep, we could not eat or drink. I always wondered when I went to someone’s funeral or wake , whether I made a difference.
I can tell you now that you, our family and friends helped us to live.
On the behalf of the Chow Family, I want to thank everyone for their incredible support.
Thank you so very much.
Our son Joseph
Initially, even though he worked so hard, he had no success. He was always the youngest, smallest in his class.
As parents, we send our kids out into the world. We cannot be with them. We can only hope that they make friends and succeed.
When he went to Fordham Prep a magical transformation into a wonderful, caring, athletic, beautiful young man began. That growth continued at Amherst. He had such fantastic friends. We were so happy.Joseph worked so hard. He was called “Speedy Joe” by the Amherst swim team, because he was the slowest on the team.
He lived every minute of his life.
He really was the “Little Engine that Could.”
Joseph took all of what his family, friends, teachers and coaches had to give, internalized it and passed it forward.
When we heard that he was going to Africa with the Peace Corps, we were really worried. We were worried he would stick out.
We worried that he would be mugged, kidnapped, or robbed, and that he would not succeed and integrate into his community.
Joseph told us not to worry. That the Peace Corps told him that all you had to do was make friends and that they would keep him safe.
He was confident that would happen.
When we met with Andrea, we were able to see videos, pictures and remembrance book from Tanzania. He had lots of friends. He had succeeded.
With the death of Joseph, there has been lots of grief and sorrow.
Donna and I want you to release your grief and sorrow. We will hold onto that. It is a parent’s burden and prerogative to do so.
Instead, we want you to celebrate his memory.
If his memory helps you do better, if it helps you live life more fully, if in the dark, his memory gives you a little light, or helps your flame burn a little brighter, if you take this and pass it to your friends and family, then a little piece of Joe will live on.
If Joe were listening now I can just see how he would react.
He would smile that big smile of his. Then he would do his high pitched giggle. Then he would break out in his loud laugh.
Then he would raise his hands in mock exasperation and go AARGH!!
Then he would lean forward and with great gusto he would say to me. “Dad, That was CRAP!”
Before Father O’konsky gives the final prayer, I would like us all to clap for Joe. The Applause will help send his spirit up to heaven.
I can tell you now that you, our family and friends helped us to live.
On the behalf of the Chow Family, I want to thank everyone for their incredible support.
Thank you so very much.
Our son Joseph
Initially, even though he worked so hard, he had no success. He was always the youngest, smallest in his class.
As parents, we send our kids out into the world. We cannot be with them. We can only hope that they make friends and succeed.
When he went to Fordham Prep a magical transformation into a wonderful, caring, athletic, beautiful young man began. That growth continued at Amherst. He had such fantastic friends. We were so happy.Joseph worked so hard. He was called “Speedy Joe” by the Amherst swim team, because he was the slowest on the team.
He lived every minute of his life.
He really was the “Little Engine that Could.”
Joseph took all of what his family, friends, teachers and coaches had to give, internalized it and passed it forward.
When we heard that he was going to Africa with the Peace Corps, we were really worried. We were worried he would stick out.
We worried that he would be mugged, kidnapped, or robbed, and that he would not succeed and integrate into his community.
Joseph told us not to worry. That the Peace Corps told him that all you had to do was make friends and that they would keep him safe.
He was confident that would happen.
When we met with Andrea, we were able to see videos, pictures and remembrance book from Tanzania. He had lots of friends. He had succeeded.
With the death of Joseph, there has been lots of grief and sorrow.
Donna and I want you to release your grief and sorrow. We will hold onto that. It is a parent’s burden and prerogative to do so.
Instead, we want you to celebrate his memory.
If his memory helps you do better, if it helps you live life more fully, if in the dark, his memory gives you a little light, or helps your flame burn a little brighter, if you take this and pass it to your friends and family, then a little piece of Joe will live on.
If Joe were listening now I can just see how he would react.
He would smile that big smile of his. Then he would do his high pitched giggle. Then he would break out in his loud laugh.
Then he would raise his hands in mock exasperation and go AARGH!!
Then he would lean forward and with great gusto he would say to me. “Dad, That was CRAP!”
Before Father O’konsky gives the final prayer, I would like us all to clap for Joe. The Applause will help send his spirit up to heaven.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Kyle's Beautiful October 4th speech
I could not be more proud of anyone other than my brother Joe. He lived his life to the fullest. He was so much to me, a role model, an inspiration, a friend, a brother. He is irreplaceable.
But, I won’t miss him, I wont miss my brother Joe; I won’t let myself miss him. It’s sad he died on the doorstep of a promising life, and that we won’t grow old together, have kids together. His potential will remain only that, potential. But I cannot miss what I have never truly owned, the future.
I won’t miss Joseph, his smile, his laugh. They may have left this earth, but they have not left my memory, a perfect memory of a perfect brother, which I will always hold close to my heart.
I won’t miss Joe, my role model, my hero, my friend. I know I won’t be able to chat with him about sports and friends, family and life. But that doesn’t mean he can’t guide me. I will still look to Joe for advice, reaching for his memory, carrying him with me. Never letting his life fall from mine, forever lighting my way.
I won’t miss my brother Joe. His soul lives on. Every time I feel a strong wind, hear the leaves rustle, see a passing cloud, ill know he’s there with me. While his body’s gone, his soul’s eternal.
I won’t miss Joe, because he’s not gone. Myself, and everyone here today, we all carry pieces of Joe.
I won’t miss Joe, because he’s not gone. He lives on forever in the lives of those he touched and loved.
Thank you
And now I present Andrea Wonar Gian, Director of peace corp tanzania
But, I won’t miss him, I wont miss my brother Joe; I won’t let myself miss him. It’s sad he died on the doorstep of a promising life, and that we won’t grow old together, have kids together. His potential will remain only that, potential. But I cannot miss what I have never truly owned, the future.
I won’t miss Joseph, his smile, his laugh. They may have left this earth, but they have not left my memory, a perfect memory of a perfect brother, which I will always hold close to my heart.
I won’t miss Joe, my role model, my hero, my friend. I know I won’t be able to chat with him about sports and friends, family and life. But that doesn’t mean he can’t guide me. I will still look to Joe for advice, reaching for his memory, carrying him with me. Never letting his life fall from mine, forever lighting my way.
I won’t miss my brother Joe. His soul lives on. Every time I feel a strong wind, hear the leaves rustle, see a passing cloud, ill know he’s there with me. While his body’s gone, his soul’s eternal.
I won’t miss Joe, because he’s not gone. Myself, and everyone here today, we all carry pieces of Joe.
I won’t miss Joe, because he’s not gone. He lives on forever in the lives of those he touched and loved.
Thank you
And now I present Andrea Wonar Gian, Director of peace corp tanzania
Sunday, December 6, 2009
He had started his essay for medical school
My introduction to Peace Corp Volunteer work in Africa had a rocky beginning. After spending my first three months training to teach science in Kenya, there was political upheaval and social unrest; my first assignment’s site was in the heart of the unrest. The United States Government decided to evacuate all Peace Corp volunteers, and I never really began my project in Kenya. From Kenya, I was lucky enough to be relocated (after several months) to Ndanda Secondary School in southern Tanzania. I was the first Peace Corp Volunteer at the site, and the school is seriously understaffed. Before I arrived, there was no Physics or Calculus teacher for the “A” level curriculum. For that reason, the school had a terrible reputation for teaching maths and sciences. Consequently, I spent my first year at Ndanda Secondary School learning how to teach introductory college level physics and calculus, and adjusting to a new culture, language and education system .
After almost a year, my comfort in the culture and Swahili language skills had advanced enough to allow me to look to fulfill another Peace Corp obligation, Public Health advocacy. Through another one of my school assigned tasks I was teaching physical education once a week. Since about 100 students typically come to the class, I had started running with the students. One of the students Lenigius , told me about the newly student organized club “FEMA”. He explained that FEMA’s role was to fight the spread of HIV by promoting healthy lifestyles and clean environments. The club needed a “mwalimu mlezi” (faculty guardian) for advice and to liaison with the school
administration. He invited me to a meeting of the organizers and showed me a list of documents and names and a club charter signed by the national chairperson. We began meeting every week in whatever classroom we could find.
Highly-motivated leaders and a groundswell of interest from the school
community differentiated FEMA from the schools previous extracurricular
activities, none of which lasted more than a few months. Although, none of the
students were infected, Tanzania is a country where almost 10%
of the population is HIV infected; all of the students have personal knowledge of just how devastating the disease can be.
At one of our first meetings more than 100 students came to watch some short television dramas about various facets of HIV,. Afterwards many students attended our
events, and I saw boys at our concerts who had otherwise skipped classes for
months. After some early stabs at lecturing on health issues I let the
club chairman, Mussa, run our meetings and settled into a role as
advisor and coordinator. Faraji, our vice-president, returned from
a conference in Dar es Salaam with a love for “energizers”, such as
instructing the audience to spell F-E-M-A by waving their butts in the
air. Soon, club members were called to perform at every school
function, and we began monthly concerts to educate their classmates.
With the help of a Peace Corp grant and a local NGO, we organized a weekend conference for the regional A level schools which was 10km run followed by an AIDS awareness presentation, HIV testing and condom demonstrations.
We have just elected new leaders and are trying to found new branches in other nearby secondary schools.
In college I was active in student government, the swim and water polo club, and the Newman society. I was a student among students. Now, I am the professor and advisor. The club has taught me how to lead, not to control. I cannot dictate my needs and wants, but have to inspire through teaching and behavior. I have learned the importance of interpersonal relationships, and allowing others to have their own thoughts and ideas. These attributes directly cross over to the practice of medicine.
More than any other profession, health care is about interpersonal
relationships and allowing the patients to have an understanding and stake in their own care. I realize now that I learned this as a child when to earn some extra
money I would work filing charts at my father’s Internal Medicine
office. I would quiz him about the names on the medical charts and
he would answer with stories of individuals with their own careers,
families and life circumstances. This knowledge of the individual helps my father in his diagnosis and care of his patients’ illnesses. In order to cure sickness doctors must
first understand their patient.
Additionally, my time in Africa, especially my work with the FEMA club, helped me understand the importance of groups. Health care is a community value, not only an individual service. My students, who at night must study under streetlights
because the school cannot afford to pay the electric bill, still put
in hours of their time to reach out to their fellow students to improve
public health in their community. I was inspired by these student efforts to
identify and address problems in the community. As an outsider
with a two-year contract, it took some time to find my place in the
school; however I am proud of my role as teacher and advisor. Peace
Corps service has taught me the value of communities, and the importance of individual activism in that community. I am looking to begin a career in medicine when I return home so that I can continue to help solve society’s most pressing problems by using science, leadership and education .
After almost a year, my comfort in the culture and Swahili language skills had advanced enough to allow me to look to fulfill another Peace Corp obligation, Public Health advocacy. Through another one of my school assigned tasks I was teaching physical education once a week. Since about 100 students typically come to the class, I had started running with the students. One of the students Lenigius , told me about the newly student organized club “FEMA”. He explained that FEMA’s role was to fight the spread of HIV by promoting healthy lifestyles and clean environments. The club needed a “mwalimu mlezi” (faculty guardian) for advice and to liaison with the school
administration. He invited me to a meeting of the organizers and showed me a list of documents and names and a club charter signed by the national chairperson. We began meeting every week in whatever classroom we could find.
Highly-motivated leaders and a groundswell of interest from the school
community differentiated FEMA from the schools previous extracurricular
activities, none of which lasted more than a few months. Although, none of the
students were infected, Tanzania is a country where almost 10%
of the population is HIV infected; all of the students have personal knowledge of just how devastating the disease can be.
At one of our first meetings more than 100 students came to watch some short television dramas about various facets of HIV,. Afterwards many students attended our
events, and I saw boys at our concerts who had otherwise skipped classes for
months. After some early stabs at lecturing on health issues I let the
club chairman, Mussa, run our meetings and settled into a role as
advisor and coordinator. Faraji, our vice-president, returned from
a conference in Dar es Salaam with a love for “energizers”, such as
instructing the audience to spell F-E-M-A by waving their butts in the
air. Soon, club members were called to perform at every school
function, and we began monthly concerts to educate their classmates.
With the help of a Peace Corp grant and a local NGO, we organized a weekend conference for the regional A level schools which was 10km run followed by an AIDS awareness presentation, HIV testing and condom demonstrations.
We have just elected new leaders and are trying to found new branches in other nearby secondary schools.
In college I was active in student government, the swim and water polo club, and the Newman society. I was a student among students. Now, I am the professor and advisor. The club has taught me how to lead, not to control. I cannot dictate my needs and wants, but have to inspire through teaching and behavior. I have learned the importance of interpersonal relationships, and allowing others to have their own thoughts and ideas. These attributes directly cross over to the practice of medicine.
More than any other profession, health care is about interpersonal
relationships and allowing the patients to have an understanding and stake in their own care. I realize now that I learned this as a child when to earn some extra
money I would work filing charts at my father’s Internal Medicine
office. I would quiz him about the names on the medical charts and
he would answer with stories of individuals with their own careers,
families and life circumstances. This knowledge of the individual helps my father in his diagnosis and care of his patients’ illnesses. In order to cure sickness doctors must
first understand their patient.
Additionally, my time in Africa, especially my work with the FEMA club, helped me understand the importance of groups. Health care is a community value, not only an individual service. My students, who at night must study under streetlights
because the school cannot afford to pay the electric bill, still put
in hours of their time to reach out to their fellow students to improve
public health in their community. I was inspired by these student efforts to
identify and address problems in the community. As an outsider
with a two-year contract, it took some time to find my place in the
school; however I am proud of my role as teacher and advisor. Peace
Corps service has taught me the value of communities, and the importance of individual activism in that community. I am looking to begin a career in medicine when I return home so that I can continue to help solve society’s most pressing problems by using science, leadership and education .
Daniel - October 4, 2009
This is the only speech I have ever made regarding either of my brothers. In fact, I always imagined that my first speech to them would be one filled with embarrassing stories and told on their wedding day. Instead, I find myself wishing that Joseph were here to hear the things I have to say about him.
Sea turtles in Hawaii, blizzards on the Matterhorn, bears in Alaska, and Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa represent just a small fragment of what Joseph got to see in his life. Even though his life was tragically cut short, he experienced more then the vast majority of people ever will. His life was lived to the fullest till the very last moment. Still, he never took these fantastic experiences for granted. He never took anything for granted. Joseph knew how great his family and friends are, he knew that most people couldn’t even imagine the opportunities and support that he was given. I think that Peace Corps was his way of giving back to the world that had been so good to him.
I don’t really want to talk for that long, but I did want to share something that I think sums Joseph up as a person. Joe always went 100%, and, I’ll be the first to admit that he worked harder than me at most things. Swimming is an exceptional example of this. Joe would wake up at 4:30 in the morning and practice for 2 hours THEN hop back into the pool in the afternoon for another 2 hours after going to school all day. To top that off, he would always be the leader of his lane and push himself harder than most. On the other hand, I would occasionally swim in the morning, but more often opt for the extra sleep. Then in the afternoon I would unwillingly attend practice where I was always in the back of the lane goofing off. However, in spite of all his effort and my complete lack of focus, I would somehow always destroy Joseph when it came to race-time. Being a competitive family in some regards, I never let him forget this. However, he never gave up or stopped training. He worked hard and I watched as his hard work paid off with his 4 years of Varsity swimming at Amherst. He even eventually beat my times, although that was long after I had stopped swimming. Joe put his heart into everything he did, and swimming is only one example of this.
He was not a stereotypical big brother in many respects, and recently I talked with Uncle Frank about how I blazed my own path most of the time, which is a reflection of the differences in our personalities. However, I do look up to him as a big brother, I aspire to be as good a person as he was and to work as hard as he did at everything that I am passionate about. I know that I will miss Joe everyday of my life. Yet, when I think back on the memories we shared, I do not feel sad, instead, a smile often stretches across my face or a laugh escapes my lips. I am proud to have been able to call him my brother.
Sea turtles in Hawaii, blizzards on the Matterhorn, bears in Alaska, and Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa represent just a small fragment of what Joseph got to see in his life. Even though his life was tragically cut short, he experienced more then the vast majority of people ever will. His life was lived to the fullest till the very last moment. Still, he never took these fantastic experiences for granted. He never took anything for granted. Joseph knew how great his family and friends are, he knew that most people couldn’t even imagine the opportunities and support that he was given. I think that Peace Corps was his way of giving back to the world that had been so good to him.
I don’t really want to talk for that long, but I did want to share something that I think sums Joseph up as a person. Joe always went 100%, and, I’ll be the first to admit that he worked harder than me at most things. Swimming is an exceptional example of this. Joe would wake up at 4:30 in the morning and practice for 2 hours THEN hop back into the pool in the afternoon for another 2 hours after going to school all day. To top that off, he would always be the leader of his lane and push himself harder than most. On the other hand, I would occasionally swim in the morning, but more often opt for the extra sleep. Then in the afternoon I would unwillingly attend practice where I was always in the back of the lane goofing off. However, in spite of all his effort and my complete lack of focus, I would somehow always destroy Joseph when it came to race-time. Being a competitive family in some regards, I never let him forget this. However, he never gave up or stopped training. He worked hard and I watched as his hard work paid off with his 4 years of Varsity swimming at Amherst. He even eventually beat my times, although that was long after I had stopped swimming. Joe put his heart into everything he did, and swimming is only one example of this.
He was not a stereotypical big brother in many respects, and recently I talked with Uncle Frank about how I blazed my own path most of the time, which is a reflection of the differences in our personalities. However, I do look up to him as a big brother, I aspire to be as good a person as he was and to work as hard as he did at everything that I am passionate about. I know that I will miss Joe everyday of my life. Yet, when I think back on the memories we shared, I do not feel sad, instead, a smile often stretches across my face or a laugh escapes my lips. I am proud to have been able to call him my brother.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Charlie's talk - Thanks Charlie
3375408
Good Afternoon,
My name is Charles Beale and it was my absolute privilege to be Joe chow’s friend. Upon hearing about his death, I immediately replied with 3 words, the first I cannot say in churh, the second is bull and the third I can not say.
I could stand here all day and tell you that he was one hell of man. I could go little by little telling of the loyalty of his friendship and the love he shared with everyone. I could mention, he was a starry eyed kid, with a passion to know. He wasn’t much of a risk taker, then again, he spent his last days on earth teaching people half way around the world who were less fortunate then everyone in this room, teaching chemistry, math, and physics. To do that he had to leave behind everything and go on the last adventure of his life. I will not attempt to address the rumors that in Africa he became an expert spear fisherman or that he spent time in markets bargaining for owls. And the selflessness of the last two year of his life are something I know little about, separated by too many miles and too much time.
But I will say we like people for what they are good at and we love them for their flaws. So I will tell of some things that I loved joe for.
The first is fairly simple, he wasn’t a good troublemaker. For one simple reason, a good trouble maker upon narrowly escaping, being caught by the police for having some 40 illegally obtained election signs in the back seat of a car, illegal possession alcohol, while his friend is driving at about one in the morning with a license that only allows him to drive till 9. A good trouble maker, does not under any circumstance tells his Mom of the actions that had transpired the night before no matter how entertaining the story. But that was just how joe was. He was honest and pure. He was always at first reluctant to partake in the a crazy scheme but once he a succumbed to peer pressure , he would then think of way to make the scheme better and more thought out.
He wasn’t a bad singer, but he wasn’t a loud enough singer … One time we found ourselves serenading the girls on Sarah Lawrence campus to only be chased away by a campus van. Later to be accused of some bogus claim of sexual harassment and trespassing. I to this day attribute us getting in trouble because he voice was drowned out by jp’s and mine. He wasn’t the all time great, ladies man, but he did know that in no way would this help us with the ladies. ( I spoke briefly hear how I would make him reluctantly take his shirt off to show off to the ladies)
He was a pretty good swimmer; however that same level of athleticism was lost in other sports. (His method in shooting hoops was based on the law of averages. If you keep shooting you are bound to make one in.) If I were to tell you that our annual game of tackle football that Joe Chow was a force to be reckoned with, I would be telling you a blatant lie. At 5’7, 145 pounds soaking wet, it would be a little difficult. And Our version of tackle football is nothing like seen on television. Joe Chow’s method of tackling someone was pretty simple, jump on the opposing player and hope they get tired of running with a 145 pound weight on their back and just fall. But he played with everything he had like he did with everything in life. He wanted to win but never let that ruin the fun of the game.
He had a manner of standing, like an exhausted pregnant woman. ( Here I showed them how he did it) Almost as if he could not carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Here are a few more things about Joe. He was an excellent piano player, an excellent ping pong player, he has kill count in halo in the millions against me, and he has taken enough money off me in poker to buy himself an owl.
I once traveled to Greece with Joe. He laughed that I really had no idea the difference between the Parthenon and the Panthenon. I still don’t.
He was however an excellent friend. Upon hearing of my father’s death, rumor has it he walked some 20 miles in an attempt to call me. It was a shame that he got my phone number off facebook. The number I had posted on facebook was The new york rejection hotline, but he thought he got my voice mail so he made the walk twice before he realized. I imagined that he kinda whispered under his breath like he sometimes did when he had been dooped , “ son of a bitch.”
I will forever cherish his friendship. He was always willing to listen or lend the helping hand, or quickly tell me how stupid an idea might be.
And his leaving kinda puts us in a rough spot. I am left to wonder the possibilities of what was yet to come in Joe Chow’s life, but in knowing the possibilities, we must fill the void he left and that is what scares me the most. The world could use a few more Joe Chows. I miss my friend.
Good Afternoon,
My name is Charles Beale and it was my absolute privilege to be Joe chow’s friend. Upon hearing about his death, I immediately replied with 3 words, the first I cannot say in churh, the second is bull and the third I can not say.
I could stand here all day and tell you that he was one hell of man. I could go little by little telling of the loyalty of his friendship and the love he shared with everyone. I could mention, he was a starry eyed kid, with a passion to know. He wasn’t much of a risk taker, then again, he spent his last days on earth teaching people half way around the world who were less fortunate then everyone in this room, teaching chemistry, math, and physics. To do that he had to leave behind everything and go on the last adventure of his life. I will not attempt to address the rumors that in Africa he became an expert spear fisherman or that he spent time in markets bargaining for owls. And the selflessness of the last two year of his life are something I know little about, separated by too many miles and too much time.
But I will say we like people for what they are good at and we love them for their flaws. So I will tell of some things that I loved joe for.
The first is fairly simple, he wasn’t a good troublemaker. For one simple reason, a good trouble maker upon narrowly escaping, being caught by the police for having some 40 illegally obtained election signs in the back seat of a car, illegal possession alcohol, while his friend is driving at about one in the morning with a license that only allows him to drive till 9. A good trouble maker, does not under any circumstance tells his Mom of the actions that had transpired the night before no matter how entertaining the story. But that was just how joe was. He was honest and pure. He was always at first reluctant to partake in the a crazy scheme but once he a succumbed to peer pressure , he would then think of way to make the scheme better and more thought out.
He wasn’t a bad singer, but he wasn’t a loud enough singer … One time we found ourselves serenading the girls on Sarah Lawrence campus to only be chased away by a campus van. Later to be accused of some bogus claim of sexual harassment and trespassing. I to this day attribute us getting in trouble because he voice was drowned out by jp’s and mine. He wasn’t the all time great, ladies man, but he did know that in no way would this help us with the ladies. ( I spoke briefly hear how I would make him reluctantly take his shirt off to show off to the ladies)
He was a pretty good swimmer; however that same level of athleticism was lost in other sports. (His method in shooting hoops was based on the law of averages. If you keep shooting you are bound to make one in.) If I were to tell you that our annual game of tackle football that Joe Chow was a force to be reckoned with, I would be telling you a blatant lie. At 5’7, 145 pounds soaking wet, it would be a little difficult. And Our version of tackle football is nothing like seen on television. Joe Chow’s method of tackling someone was pretty simple, jump on the opposing player and hope they get tired of running with a 145 pound weight on their back and just fall. But he played with everything he had like he did with everything in life. He wanted to win but never let that ruin the fun of the game.
He had a manner of standing, like an exhausted pregnant woman. ( Here I showed them how he did it) Almost as if he could not carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Here are a few more things about Joe. He was an excellent piano player, an excellent ping pong player, he has kill count in halo in the millions against me, and he has taken enough money off me in poker to buy himself an owl.
I once traveled to Greece with Joe. He laughed that I really had no idea the difference between the Parthenon and the Panthenon. I still don’t.
He was however an excellent friend. Upon hearing of my father’s death, rumor has it he walked some 20 miles in an attempt to call me. It was a shame that he got my phone number off facebook. The number I had posted on facebook was The new york rejection hotline, but he thought he got my voice mail so he made the walk twice before he realized. I imagined that he kinda whispered under his breath like he sometimes did when he had been dooped , “ son of a bitch.”
I will forever cherish his friendship. He was always willing to listen or lend the helping hand, or quickly tell me how stupid an idea might be.
And his leaving kinda puts us in a rough spot. I am left to wonder the possibilities of what was yet to come in Joe Chow’s life, but in knowing the possibilities, we must fill the void he left and that is what scares me the most. The world could use a few more Joe Chows. I miss my friend.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Uncle Paul eulogy
The life of Joseph Lawrence Chow was a beautiful life and “a life well lived”.
The last time I saw Joseph was two years ago almost to the day. Joe had developed an interest in golf, so I bribed him with a round of golf to squeeze myself onto his schedule. The golf was not memorable but our conversation was. Joe had just graduated from Amherst College and he was leaving soon to join the Peace Corp in East Africa. We had time to discuss many things but we spent most of our time talking about the Peace Corp. He shared with me how much he would miss his family and friends, but he was thrilled to have the chance to immerse himself in a completely different culture. He thought he would love teaching and could be a good teacher. He mentioned that there’d be no golf and probably no piano, so he’d spend his spare time reading and there’d be plenty of opportunity for music and golf when he returned home. Joe admitted that while he was very excited and absolutely committed, he was also nervous because he knew that this would be more difficult than anything he had ever done before.
He was a happy, confident young man, full of purpose, comfortable in his own skin and optimistic about the future. Had I not known and loved Joseph his entire life as his uncle, I know I would have loved and admired him as a friend. I remember feeling very proud of him as I watched him bound up the stairs of the Greenwich train station two steps at a time when I dropped him off that evening.
As many of you know, Joseph was a high academic achiever and he was an accomplished pianist and organist. In any group of people Joseph might be among the smartest or the most musically talented. Both as a scholar and a musician Joe was very driven to excel, determined to achieve the highest grades and board scores or play the most technically difficult music. But that was only one dimension of Joseph. He was able to be passionate even when he did not personally excel. Swimming was an important part of Joe’s life. He was a serious and good swimmer but rarely the star. In fact, as a varsity swimmer at Amherst he was probably among the slowest on the team, but that was okay because for Joseph swimming was always more about the shared experience and camaraderie of being on the team than about winning and losing or individual achievement.
Chances are that Joseph might not have become the remarkable young man he became without many of you who have gathered in this church to honor and remember him today. You see, Joseph had a big advantage in life- he never had to wonder if he was loved. In fact, you could say that his life was a love story. Not a “boy meets girl” love story, but a love story about someone who is loved by many from the moment he is born. His anchor and greatest source of love was his family- his parents, Donna & Ray; his brothers, Daniel and Kyle; his grandparents Ruby, Leo, Joe & Larry; and his many Chow & Robertson uncles, aunts and cousins. But as Ray and Donna have said so often, Joseph was blessed to also be loved by so many wonderful people beyond his own family- teachers, coaches & mentors; colleagues, classmates & teammates; friends and neighbors- who touched and inspired him; nurtured, supported and encouraged him throughout his life.
Because so much had been given to him by so many, it was second nature to Joseph to give to others. Always kind, compassionate and generous, he used his own gifts and talents to give- by playing piano for terminally ill patients at hospice or coaching young aspiring swimmers or teaching math and science in East Africa.
Joseph spent the last two years of his life giving back as a Peace Corp volunteer. By all accounts he was an extraordinary teacher who was loved and valued by his students and his community. Watching the recording of the memorial service held for Joe in Tanzania it was clear that during the past two years Joseph had continued to go from strength to strength in his life. On the last full day of his life, Joseph was with a fellow Peace Corp volunteer. Since she was a recent arrival in Tanzania, he was anxious for her to know how rich and rewarding his Peace Corp experience had been but he also wanted to tell her how wonderful his family was, how excited he was about going home and how he was planning to go to medical school. When Ray shared this with me, I couldn’t help being reminded of my conversation with Joe two years ago and I took some comfort knowing Joe was still brimming with the excitement and optimism that I remembered so clearly.
Joseph leaving us so suddenly, so young is unbearably sad. I don’t know that any of us will ever be able to understand why Joseph was taken. Some things are impossible to explain, impossible to reconcile. There will always be an emptiness, a hole that can’t be filled, reminders of what could have been and should have been. But I hope that in this time of terrible grief, all of Joseph’s family and friends [particularly Donna, Ray, Daniel and Kyle] who loved him so much can take some solace and someday even rejoice that Joseph was a beautiful person who lived a happy and deeply meaningful life.
As has been said, “If you can’t have both, a good life is better than a long life”… Joseph Chow’s life was a good life, a life well lived.
The last time I saw Joseph was two years ago almost to the day. Joe had developed an interest in golf, so I bribed him with a round of golf to squeeze myself onto his schedule. The golf was not memorable but our conversation was. Joe had just graduated from Amherst College and he was leaving soon to join the Peace Corp in East Africa. We had time to discuss many things but we spent most of our time talking about the Peace Corp. He shared with me how much he would miss his family and friends, but he was thrilled to have the chance to immerse himself in a completely different culture. He thought he would love teaching and could be a good teacher. He mentioned that there’d be no golf and probably no piano, so he’d spend his spare time reading and there’d be plenty of opportunity for music and golf when he returned home. Joe admitted that while he was very excited and absolutely committed, he was also nervous because he knew that this would be more difficult than anything he had ever done before.
He was a happy, confident young man, full of purpose, comfortable in his own skin and optimistic about the future. Had I not known and loved Joseph his entire life as his uncle, I know I would have loved and admired him as a friend. I remember feeling very proud of him as I watched him bound up the stairs of the Greenwich train station two steps at a time when I dropped him off that evening.
As many of you know, Joseph was a high academic achiever and he was an accomplished pianist and organist. In any group of people Joseph might be among the smartest or the most musically talented. Both as a scholar and a musician Joe was very driven to excel, determined to achieve the highest grades and board scores or play the most technically difficult music. But that was only one dimension of Joseph. He was able to be passionate even when he did not personally excel. Swimming was an important part of Joe’s life. He was a serious and good swimmer but rarely the star. In fact, as a varsity swimmer at Amherst he was probably among the slowest on the team, but that was okay because for Joseph swimming was always more about the shared experience and camaraderie of being on the team than about winning and losing or individual achievement.
Chances are that Joseph might not have become the remarkable young man he became without many of you who have gathered in this church to honor and remember him today. You see, Joseph had a big advantage in life- he never had to wonder if he was loved. In fact, you could say that his life was a love story. Not a “boy meets girl” love story, but a love story about someone who is loved by many from the moment he is born. His anchor and greatest source of love was his family- his parents, Donna & Ray; his brothers, Daniel and Kyle; his grandparents Ruby, Leo, Joe & Larry; and his many Chow & Robertson uncles, aunts and cousins. But as Ray and Donna have said so often, Joseph was blessed to also be loved by so many wonderful people beyond his own family- teachers, coaches & mentors; colleagues, classmates & teammates; friends and neighbors- who touched and inspired him; nurtured, supported and encouraged him throughout his life.
Because so much had been given to him by so many, it was second nature to Joseph to give to others. Always kind, compassionate and generous, he used his own gifts and talents to give- by playing piano for terminally ill patients at hospice or coaching young aspiring swimmers or teaching math and science in East Africa.
Joseph spent the last two years of his life giving back as a Peace Corp volunteer. By all accounts he was an extraordinary teacher who was loved and valued by his students and his community. Watching the recording of the memorial service held for Joe in Tanzania it was clear that during the past two years Joseph had continued to go from strength to strength in his life. On the last full day of his life, Joseph was with a fellow Peace Corp volunteer. Since she was a recent arrival in Tanzania, he was anxious for her to know how rich and rewarding his Peace Corp experience had been but he also wanted to tell her how wonderful his family was, how excited he was about going home and how he was planning to go to medical school. When Ray shared this with me, I couldn’t help being reminded of my conversation with Joe two years ago and I took some comfort knowing Joe was still brimming with the excitement and optimism that I remembered so clearly.
Joseph leaving us so suddenly, so young is unbearably sad. I don’t know that any of us will ever be able to understand why Joseph was taken. Some things are impossible to explain, impossible to reconcile. There will always be an emptiness, a hole that can’t be filled, reminders of what could have been and should have been. But I hope that in this time of terrible grief, all of Joseph’s family and friends [particularly Donna, Ray, Daniel and Kyle] who loved him so much can take some solace and someday even rejoice that Joseph was a beautiful person who lived a happy and deeply meaningful life.
As has been said, “If you can’t have both, a good life is better than a long life”… Joseph Chow’s life was a good life, a life well lived.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
JP's eulogy
"I'm at peace with the world. I'm completely serene. I've discovered my purpose in life. I know why I was put here and why everything exists...I am here so everybody can do what I want. Once everybody accepts it, they'll be serene too." That's Calvin and Hobbes, Joe's High School Yearbook quote.
My name is JP, and Joe Chow was my Friend.
After spending every day that summer together, Columbus Day weekend, my freshman year of college, was the first time we were all together in what seemed like ages. And Joe was grounded. And it was his birthday. Apparently it was part of the fallout of an incident Senior year involving Jag Sing's car and Joe's notoriously bad driving.
Regardless, we showed up at his house to wish him happy birthday, and when he came outside, Charlie Beale hit the gas while Ryan Ujazdowski, Tom Gaffney, and myself bodily picked Joe up, and threw him in the back seat. Tires squealing, Tom diving in the car as it sped off, Momma Chow staring in disbelief from the front door, me sitting on Joe's head, dousing him in beer. At least that is how I remember it. We had him call his mom and I broke it to her that her son would not be coming home that night. (find Donna) But she never liked me anyway.
Jimmy Stip introduced me to Joe our freshman year of High School as a buddy of his from the swim team. I quickly came to know Joe as a quiet, but funny kid who was much, much smarter than me.
I had the pleasure of doing Joe's first shot with him, on my back porch, that summer before College. I remember what it was, too- 151 mixed with some blue stuff. Daniel and Kyle had the pleasure of cleaning Joe's first shot off the bathroom floor later that same evening.
I could go in to the fact that I always considered Joe to be the smartest person I knew. I could go in to the fact that I was sure that he would be on the cutting edge of some scientific breakthrough that I could barely wrap my brain around, but I prefer to think of his field presence in pickup football- awkward, and his absurdly formulaic golf swing.
The fact that he joined the Peace Corps suprised me not at all. Some thing every one talks about, "oh yea, I'd love to go to Africa" Joe did. And he didn't just take. He saw Kilimanjaro, sure, but he was there to give of himself. And that doesn't surprise me.
I remember how he said my name and how he would laugh at ridiculous ideas with a snort, I remember how he would expand all the fingers on both his hands to stretch when he was getting bored or impatient.
I can't help but have a feeling of disillusionment with the world now. The kid I expected to either cure cancer or discover an alien civilization or maybe be President, whatever he felt like doing, is gone. Who's coattails am I going to ride? How are the rest of us supposed to go on when the best of us is gone?
We went on a trip to Appalachia in High School. We worked on houses and talked to the locals, and bonded with all the people who like, us, were down there to help. I knew Joe before this pretty well, and he was shy, by my standards anyway. But by the end of the week, well, it was like spring and the Joe tree had blossomed in my backyard. I have a picture of him from down there, still, somewhere, and it is how I think of him when someone says 'Joe Chow'. It's him, laying across a piano bench, cards in his hands. I fired it off on impulse, and he looked up just in time, smiled, and went right back to cards. Smiling, sitting strangely, invested in what he was doing, that was Joe for me. The strange sitting was of course just as important as the smiling.
People always try to spin this perfectly circular existence to the experience of life. People talk about death as the completion of a circle, but I'm sorry if I can't do that. A big god damn hole has been ripped in the fabric of my existence. Joe's life didn't end in some perfectly circular manner. He was headed forward, upward. His life was on the rise, his impact in the world was really just starting to be felt. Felt by his parents, who saw all their hard work coming to fruition, and it was in service to others, in teaching, of which there is no better calling. Felt by his students, who were getting a taste of his potential impact on the world, seeing the intelligent human being in front of them and grasping at every bit of information he could think to provide, to give them a fair shake. Felt by his brothers, a unit. A triangle is the strongest structure in nature, and three legs are the most balanced. They were hitting their stride, falling into unison, without losing the playful pettiness that makes siblings love each other so much. And felt by me, I mean, all I ever wanted was a few good drinking buddies. My standards for who I will share a beer with are quite high. Joe fit all of these standards, funny, smarter than me, wrote the answers on his math tests really big, fun- loving, shorter than me, can talk about movies (particularly shitty ones) to no end, but now he's gone. And so it seems we're all one short.
One of the last times I saw Joe, he was home for about a week or so, and we wanted to meet up, and on top of that, he hadn't had a good sandwich in months, so he picked me up and we went down to Arthur Ave in the Bronx, by Fordham Prep. We ordered sandwiches at the deli, and he got a provolone-loaded specialty sandwich while I went with my usual, ham and swiss with Mayo. Well, the ENTIRE lunch, he gave me shit. "We're on Arthur Avenue," He'd said, "You can get ham and swiss anywhere. This is the best Italian meats and cheese on the planet, and you're eating ham and swiss." He shook his head at me as I came back with the point that you could probably get better Italian meats and cheeses in Italy.
Little did I know that the kid that had taught me enough to pass Physics, Pre-Calc, AP Gov, and AP Physics by the skin of my teeth was passing one last lesson on to me. Take the opourtunities you are presented with. He sure did.
Sorry, but I can't provide closure here. I just don't know how I possibly could. I will instead say that there are a lot of people who have a giant, gaping hole ripped in their respective realities, a hole that nothing here on earth can patch. You are not alone in your pain, and it sucks.
Ok, end with a quote. This is straight from Joe himself. "JP, you're an idiot."
Calvin: I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night.
Seriously though, See ya pal.
My name is JP, and Joe Chow was my Friend.
After spending every day that summer together, Columbus Day weekend, my freshman year of college, was the first time we were all together in what seemed like ages. And Joe was grounded. And it was his birthday. Apparently it was part of the fallout of an incident Senior year involving Jag Sing's car and Joe's notoriously bad driving.
Regardless, we showed up at his house to wish him happy birthday, and when he came outside, Charlie Beale hit the gas while Ryan Ujazdowski, Tom Gaffney, and myself bodily picked Joe up, and threw him in the back seat. Tires squealing, Tom diving in the car as it sped off, Momma Chow staring in disbelief from the front door, me sitting on Joe's head, dousing him in beer. At least that is how I remember it. We had him call his mom and I broke it to her that her son would not be coming home that night. (find Donna) But she never liked me anyway.
Jimmy Stip introduced me to Joe our freshman year of High School as a buddy of his from the swim team. I quickly came to know Joe as a quiet, but funny kid who was much, much smarter than me.
I had the pleasure of doing Joe's first shot with him, on my back porch, that summer before College. I remember what it was, too- 151 mixed with some blue stuff. Daniel and Kyle had the pleasure of cleaning Joe's first shot off the bathroom floor later that same evening.
I could go in to the fact that I always considered Joe to be the smartest person I knew. I could go in to the fact that I was sure that he would be on the cutting edge of some scientific breakthrough that I could barely wrap my brain around, but I prefer to think of his field presence in pickup football- awkward, and his absurdly formulaic golf swing.
The fact that he joined the Peace Corps suprised me not at all. Some thing every one talks about, "oh yea, I'd love to go to Africa" Joe did. And he didn't just take. He saw Kilimanjaro, sure, but he was there to give of himself. And that doesn't surprise me.
I remember how he said my name and how he would laugh at ridiculous ideas with a snort, I remember how he would expand all the fingers on both his hands to stretch when he was getting bored or impatient.
I can't help but have a feeling of disillusionment with the world now. The kid I expected to either cure cancer or discover an alien civilization or maybe be President, whatever he felt like doing, is gone. Who's coattails am I going to ride? How are the rest of us supposed to go on when the best of us is gone?
We went on a trip to Appalachia in High School. We worked on houses and talked to the locals, and bonded with all the people who like, us, were down there to help. I knew Joe before this pretty well, and he was shy, by my standards anyway. But by the end of the week, well, it was like spring and the Joe tree had blossomed in my backyard. I have a picture of him from down there, still, somewhere, and it is how I think of him when someone says 'Joe Chow'. It's him, laying across a piano bench, cards in his hands. I fired it off on impulse, and he looked up just in time, smiled, and went right back to cards. Smiling, sitting strangely, invested in what he was doing, that was Joe for me. The strange sitting was of course just as important as the smiling.
People always try to spin this perfectly circular existence to the experience of life. People talk about death as the completion of a circle, but I'm sorry if I can't do that. A big god damn hole has been ripped in the fabric of my existence. Joe's life didn't end in some perfectly circular manner. He was headed forward, upward. His life was on the rise, his impact in the world was really just starting to be felt. Felt by his parents, who saw all their hard work coming to fruition, and it was in service to others, in teaching, of which there is no better calling. Felt by his students, who were getting a taste of his potential impact on the world, seeing the intelligent human being in front of them and grasping at every bit of information he could think to provide, to give them a fair shake. Felt by his brothers, a unit. A triangle is the strongest structure in nature, and three legs are the most balanced. They were hitting their stride, falling into unison, without losing the playful pettiness that makes siblings love each other so much. And felt by me, I mean, all I ever wanted was a few good drinking buddies. My standards for who I will share a beer with are quite high. Joe fit all of these standards, funny, smarter than me, wrote the answers on his math tests really big, fun- loving, shorter than me, can talk about movies (particularly shitty ones) to no end, but now he's gone. And so it seems we're all one short.
One of the last times I saw Joe, he was home for about a week or so, and we wanted to meet up, and on top of that, he hadn't had a good sandwich in months, so he picked me up and we went down to Arthur Ave in the Bronx, by Fordham Prep. We ordered sandwiches at the deli, and he got a provolone-loaded specialty sandwich while I went with my usual, ham and swiss with Mayo. Well, the ENTIRE lunch, he gave me shit. "We're on Arthur Avenue," He'd said, "You can get ham and swiss anywhere. This is the best Italian meats and cheese on the planet, and you're eating ham and swiss." He shook his head at me as I came back with the point that you could probably get better Italian meats and cheeses in Italy.
Little did I know that the kid that had taught me enough to pass Physics, Pre-Calc, AP Gov, and AP Physics by the skin of my teeth was passing one last lesson on to me. Take the opourtunities you are presented with. He sure did.
Sorry, but I can't provide closure here. I just don't know how I possibly could. I will instead say that there are a lot of people who have a giant, gaping hole ripped in their respective realities, a hole that nothing here on earth can patch. You are not alone in your pain, and it sucks.
Ok, end with a quote. This is straight from Joe himself. "JP, you're an idiot."
Calvin: I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night.
Seriously though, See ya pal.
Friday, November 27, 2009
A Drinkup For Joe
A Drinkup For Joe
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
Google
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
A Drinkup For Joe
A Drinkup For Joe
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
Google
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Joseph's Resume - we had just finished it
Experience
Peace Corps Tanzania/Kenya (2007-2009)
Math and Science Teacher
• Taught college-level Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics courses in an underfunded magnet school. As the only Physics or Math teacher in Ndanda, my formal duties included
o Teaching over 30 class-hours per week.
o Responsibility for over 500 pupils at any given time.
o Writing and marking the mock physics and chemistry examinations for two entire regions.
o Conducting weekly experiments and tests for all physics, chemistry and math students.
o Preparing and administering daily practicals during school breaks.
o Assuming responsibility for all materials and textbooks in the math and physics departments.
• As head of the science department, oversaw a 4% rise in the school’s pass rate and received a government citation.
• Served as faculty advisor to the school’s FEMA branch, a national organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS, promoting healthy lifestyles, and empowering youth. Activities included
o Organizing events, with about 100 participants from 5-7 secondary schools, designed to spread HIV/AIDS awareness. Specific duties involved applying for grants, arranging for lodging and meals, and coordinating with hospital workers and a local NGO.
o Organized weekly FEMA meetings. Activities included lessons, debates, and drama.
• Served as teacher of machines;:
o taught typing classes to interested faculty members on the only available computer.
o filled out all of the school’s electronic registration forms.
o typed the mock examinations in all subjects for two regions.
• Organized field trips to nearby sites, including a tour of a hospital laboratory and a geology walk.
• Integrated into two cultures by using community entry techniques and becoming proficient in Kiswahili.
New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York (2005, 2007)
Physiology Research Assistant
• Conducted experiments on pulmonary vasoconstriction and analyzed results.
• Publications:
a. “Protoporphyrin IX generation from d-aminolevulinic acid elicits pulmonary artery relaxation and soluble guanylate cyclase activation” Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 291: L337-L344, 2006
b. “Heme oxygenase-1 induction depletes heme and attenuates pulmonary artery relaxation and guanylate cyclase activation by nitric oxide” Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 294: H1244–H1250, 2008
Anthony F. Veteran Pool, Greenburgh, New York (2001-2006)
Lifeguard/Swim Coach
• Organized practices and meets for a competitive swim team with over 100 children.
• Taught swim classes consisting of 8-20 children ages 5-12.
• Oversaw the team improve from fourth to first place over three years.
Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts (2004-2007)
Lifeguard
• Balanced a part time lifeguard job with classes and practices.
• Taught weekly swim lessons to children ages 4-13.
Education
Amherst College, Amherst, MA (2003-2007)
B.A., Double Major: Chemistry and History
• GPA: 3.53
Awards and Achievements______________________________________________________________
• GRE: 800 Math(94%), 710 Verbal(98%)
• MCAT: 32S (87%)
• 2003 Amherst College Harry de Forest Smith Classics Greek Scholar
Interests
Proficient classical pianist and pipe organist, languages (conversational in Swahili), marathon running, swimming (Varsity athlete), water polo, hiking, outdoors, reading.
Peace Corps Tanzania/Kenya (2007-2009)
Math and Science Teacher
• Taught college-level Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics courses in an underfunded magnet school. As the only Physics or Math teacher in Ndanda, my formal duties included
o Teaching over 30 class-hours per week.
o Responsibility for over 500 pupils at any given time.
o Writing and marking the mock physics and chemistry examinations for two entire regions.
o Conducting weekly experiments and tests for all physics, chemistry and math students.
o Preparing and administering daily practicals during school breaks.
o Assuming responsibility for all materials and textbooks in the math and physics departments.
• As head of the science department, oversaw a 4% rise in the school’s pass rate and received a government citation.
• Served as faculty advisor to the school’s FEMA branch, a national organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS, promoting healthy lifestyles, and empowering youth. Activities included
o Organizing events, with about 100 participants from 5-7 secondary schools, designed to spread HIV/AIDS awareness. Specific duties involved applying for grants, arranging for lodging and meals, and coordinating with hospital workers and a local NGO.
o Organized weekly FEMA meetings. Activities included lessons, debates, and drama.
• Served as teacher of machines;:
o taught typing classes to interested faculty members on the only available computer.
o filled out all of the school’s electronic registration forms.
o typed the mock examinations in all subjects for two regions.
• Organized field trips to nearby sites, including a tour of a hospital laboratory and a geology walk.
• Integrated into two cultures by using community entry techniques and becoming proficient in Kiswahili.
New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York (2005, 2007)
Physiology Research Assistant
• Conducted experiments on pulmonary vasoconstriction and analyzed results.
• Publications:
a. “Protoporphyrin IX generation from d-aminolevulinic acid elicits pulmonary artery relaxation and soluble guanylate cyclase activation” Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 291: L337-L344, 2006
b. “Heme oxygenase-1 induction depletes heme and attenuates pulmonary artery relaxation and guanylate cyclase activation by nitric oxide” Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 294: H1244–H1250, 2008
Anthony F. Veteran Pool, Greenburgh, New York (2001-2006)
Lifeguard/Swim Coach
• Organized practices and meets for a competitive swim team with over 100 children.
• Taught swim classes consisting of 8-20 children ages 5-12.
• Oversaw the team improve from fourth to first place over three years.
Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts (2004-2007)
Lifeguard
• Balanced a part time lifeguard job with classes and practices.
• Taught weekly swim lessons to children ages 4-13.
Education
Amherst College, Amherst, MA (2003-2007)
B.A., Double Major: Chemistry and History
• GPA: 3.53
Awards and Achievements______________________________________________________________
• GRE: 800 Math(94%), 710 Verbal(98%)
• MCAT: 32S (87%)
• 2003 Amherst College Harry de Forest Smith Classics Greek Scholar
Interests
Proficient classical pianist and pipe organist, languages (conversational in Swahili), marathon running, swimming (Varsity athlete), water polo, hiking, outdoors, reading.
November 26, 2009
Today, I posted all of Joseph's journal entries onto his blog. He called the folder in his computer "blog", but I have no idea why he did not want those blogs posted, certainly nothing objectionable.
Reading the posts, I realize what an incredible two years Joseph had in the peace corp Tanzania. His death was due to a freak hiking accident, he just took the wrong trail, one that ended badly. It could have happened in the Hudson Highlands, but it didn't. In June when we went to visit, he had matured so much, and really had become a self confident young man.
This morning Ray, Kyle, Dan and I took our annual Thanksgiving Day hike up to the top of Anthony's Nose overlooking the Hudson and Bear Mountain Bridge. We have to give thanks that we had this wonderful human being for 23 years, and that he lived every moment of his life.
Reading the posts, I realize what an incredible two years Joseph had in the peace corp Tanzania. His death was due to a freak hiking accident, he just took the wrong trail, one that ended badly. It could have happened in the Hudson Highlands, but it didn't. In June when we went to visit, he had matured so much, and really had become a self confident young man.
This morning Ray, Kyle, Dan and I took our annual Thanksgiving Day hike up to the top of Anthony's Nose overlooking the Hudson and Bear Mountain Bridge. We have to give thanks that we had this wonderful human being for 23 years, and that he lived every moment of his life.
November 26, 2009
Peace Corps Mourns the Loss of Volunteer Joseph Chow
*
Contact
Press Office
*
Phone
202.692.2230
*
Fax
202.692.1379
*
Email
pressoffice@
peacecorps.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 23, 2009
Peace Corps Volunteer Joseph ChowMagnifying glass iconPeace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams is saddened to announce the death of Peace Corps volunteer Joseph Chow in Tanzania. Joseph died in a rock climbing accident near the village of Mbuji in the Ruvuma region in the southern part of Tanzania.
"Joseph was active, creative and charming. He was always ready to lend a helping hand, to work and play, and to contribute to his community. His sudden passing is terribly painful for the entire Peace Corps family, including Joseph’s students, whose lives were changed by Joseph’s passion for teaching," said Director Williams. "Our thoughts go out to his family and friends around the world."
Joseph, 23, a native of Scarsdale, New York, had been serving as an education volunteer in the Ndanda Secondary School. He was scheduled to complete his Peace Corps service in November 2009.
After graduating from Amherst College in 2007, Joseph was invited to serve in Peace Corps/Kenya as a math and science teacher and arrived for his pre-service training in September 2007. He was sworn in as a volunteer in November and placed in the village of Ndalat to teach chemistry and physics at St. Clement Secondary School. Following the suspension of the Peace Corps/Kenya program in early 2008, Joseph volunteered to transfer to Tanzania to continue his service as an education volunteer. In February 2008, he began teaching college preparatory chemistry at Ndanda Secondary School in the Mtwara region of southern Tanzania.
Peace Corps Volunteer Joseph Chow teaching in TanzaniaMagnifying glass iconJoseph always put his students first. Although he was assigned to teach advanced chemistry as his only subject, Joseph recognized his students’ desire to study math and physics. Because few teachers taught those subjects, Joseph added advanced physics and math to his teaching schedule.
Raising HIV/AIDS awareness was another project that benefited from Joseph’s work ethic and commitment to his community. Joseph started an after-school health club with his students, organized community HIV testing and counseling, and developed both a 5 km race and a community theater program that raised HIV/AIDS awareness in his area. The events were successful and brought more than 400 students from several regional schools together.
In his 2007 Peace Corps aspiration statement, Joseph wrote that one of the reasons he decided to serve with Peace Corps was because he had never spent a long period of time in a different culture. He hoped to meet the challenges of teaching in a classroom in Africa and understood that the work he faced would be much more difficult than any work he had previously accomplished.
Joseph not only adapted to his new surroundings, he flourished.
Currently, there are 136 Peace Corps volunteers and 40 education trainees in Tanzania. The first group of volunteers arrived in Tanzania in 1962. More than 1,200 volunteers have worked in Tanzania in a variety of projects focused on health, the environment, and education.
*
Contact
Press Office
*
Phone
202.692.2230
*
Fax
202.692.1379
*
pressoffice@
peacecorps.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 23, 2009
Peace Corps Volunteer Joseph ChowMagnifying glass iconPeace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams is saddened to announce the death of Peace Corps volunteer Joseph Chow in Tanzania. Joseph died in a rock climbing accident near the village of Mbuji in the Ruvuma region in the southern part of Tanzania.
"Joseph was active, creative and charming. He was always ready to lend a helping hand, to work and play, and to contribute to his community. His sudden passing is terribly painful for the entire Peace Corps family, including Joseph’s students, whose lives were changed by Joseph’s passion for teaching," said Director Williams. "Our thoughts go out to his family and friends around the world."
Joseph, 23, a native of Scarsdale, New York, had been serving as an education volunteer in the Ndanda Secondary School. He was scheduled to complete his Peace Corps service in November 2009.
After graduating from Amherst College in 2007, Joseph was invited to serve in Peace Corps/Kenya as a math and science teacher and arrived for his pre-service training in September 2007. He was sworn in as a volunteer in November and placed in the village of Ndalat to teach chemistry and physics at St. Clement Secondary School. Following the suspension of the Peace Corps/Kenya program in early 2008, Joseph volunteered to transfer to Tanzania to continue his service as an education volunteer. In February 2008, he began teaching college preparatory chemistry at Ndanda Secondary School in the Mtwara region of southern Tanzania.
Peace Corps Volunteer Joseph Chow teaching in TanzaniaMagnifying glass iconJoseph always put his students first. Although he was assigned to teach advanced chemistry as his only subject, Joseph recognized his students’ desire to study math and physics. Because few teachers taught those subjects, Joseph added advanced physics and math to his teaching schedule.
Raising HIV/AIDS awareness was another project that benefited from Joseph’s work ethic and commitment to his community. Joseph started an after-school health club with his students, organized community HIV testing and counseling, and developed both a 5 km race and a community theater program that raised HIV/AIDS awareness in his area. The events were successful and brought more than 400 students from several regional schools together.
In his 2007 Peace Corps aspiration statement, Joseph wrote that one of the reasons he decided to serve with Peace Corps was because he had never spent a long period of time in a different culture. He hoped to meet the challenges of teaching in a classroom in Africa and understood that the work he faced would be much more difficult than any work he had previously accomplished.
Joseph not only adapted to his new surroundings, he flourished.
Currently, there are 136 Peace Corps volunteers and 40 education trainees in Tanzania. The first group of volunteers arrived in Tanzania in 1962. More than 1,200 volunteers have worked in Tanzania in a variety of projects focused on health, the environment, and education.
August 8, 2009
We began staying with RPCVs in Dar es Salaam, and I spent the last few days with the head of malaria and TB and USAID. He had good stories from his volunteer days, mostly about collecting all sorts of rare artifacts and smuggling them out of Bolivia. His daughter works for the world wildlife fund on a short term contract.
Yesterday I went to the FEMA club office, and was given a lot of materials.
This morning I wanted to leave Dar es Salaam. But we couldn’t find a taxi early in the morning and we missed the bus by five minutes or so. I called someone who works for the company, and he told me to meet the bus in Temeke; so I chartered a taxi to temeke, but when we got there the bus was gone. Then they wanted to go to the next stop and the taxi driver wanted another thirty thousand schillings; I told him I only had three. We got to the stop and the bus was already gone, so I had to get more money from an ATM; the taxi driver is unhappy with his compensation but what I gave him – 23000 total – is more than fair. Anyway I’m stuck in Dar for another day, and am staying in a hotel with bev and steve.
Yesterday I went to the FEMA club office, and was given a lot of materials.
This morning I wanted to leave Dar es Salaam. But we couldn’t find a taxi early in the morning and we missed the bus by five minutes or so. I called someone who works for the company, and he told me to meet the bus in Temeke; so I chartered a taxi to temeke, but when we got there the bus was gone. Then they wanted to go to the next stop and the taxi driver wanted another thirty thousand schillings; I told him I only had three. We got to the stop and the bus was already gone, so I had to get more money from an ATM; the taxi driver is unhappy with his compensation but what I gave him – 23000 total – is more than fair. Anyway I’m stuck in Dar for another day, and am staying in a hotel with bev and steve.
August 2, 2009
My final peace corps conference, a seminar about our close of service. We talk about wrapping up our Peace Corps service and returning to life back in the states. I know, because I already went through a similar conference when I first transferred to Tanzania; but when I did it then I was pretty sure I was going to remain in Africa and the conference felt somewhat irrelevant. The trip up here was uneventful, and our bus even had seatbelts(!) but I’m thankful I’m only making this trip once or twice more before I return home. Met several other volunteers for dinner yesterday.
I spent most of the bus ride, and most of the last few days, steaming about falling attendance in some of my classes. The real kicker was that the same students go to class if a Tanzanian happens to be teaching, and now that we have a practice math teacher from university I have seen students who I thought had transferred months ago. In physics class not more than 10 students arrived any day this week. Once I arrived in Dar I wrote an open letter to the physics students outlining a new policy, and threatening to screw with the test scores of any student who fails to report to every class between now and the end of term.
I spent most of the bus ride, and most of the last few days, steaming about falling attendance in some of my classes. The real kicker was that the same students go to class if a Tanzanian happens to be teaching, and now that we have a practice math teacher from university I have seen students who I thought had transferred months ago. In physics class not more than 10 students arrived any day this week. Once I arrived in Dar I wrote an open letter to the physics students outlining a new policy, and threatening to screw with the test scores of any student who fails to report to every class between now and the end of term.
July 28, 2009
Last Saturday my kids threw another HIV/AIDS concert, this time only for the school. They planned this one almost entirely on their own; in fact they only part I had anything to do with, a short film screening followed by a short discussion, failed when the electricity grid was down (it was down for the entire weekend) and two other portable generators failed on me.
Because of these problems with the generator, the performance started late. First my students had organized a sort of question-and-answer debate about whether single sex schools contributed to a rise in HIV rates. Next they put on a skit about, with boys wrapped on kangas acting as girls. Next came some music, where one student rapped – without any backup or electrical equipment – about the danger of HIV. Next two more students put on a song, sexual, for some relief – then another skit, about why sex education was important. Two students, whose parents resisted sex education for cultural or religious reasons, ended up pregnant and infected with AIDS. Finally they put on another debate about school strikes, and had a short game to explain what FEMA was all about.
After the concert I had dinner with a bunch of the expats who work in the hospital – I told war stories, they told stories about the other faraway countries they had worked in, and we ate a lot of good food. It took me a long time to try to get close to theses other volunteers, and I mostly resisted for ideological reasons; this is Peace Corps, where I should hang out with the locals. I wish now I had tried to spend more time with them from the beginning.
Because of these problems with the generator, the performance started late. First my students had organized a sort of question-and-answer debate about whether single sex schools contributed to a rise in HIV rates. Next they put on a skit about, with boys wrapped on kangas acting as girls. Next came some music, where one student rapped – without any backup or electrical equipment – about the danger of HIV. Next two more students put on a song, sexual, for some relief – then another skit, about why sex education was important. Two students, whose parents resisted sex education for cultural or religious reasons, ended up pregnant and infected with AIDS. Finally they put on another debate about school strikes, and had a short game to explain what FEMA was all about.
After the concert I had dinner with a bunch of the expats who work in the hospital – I told war stories, they told stories about the other faraway countries they had worked in, and we ate a lot of good food. It took me a long time to try to get close to theses other volunteers, and I mostly resisted for ideological reasons; this is Peace Corps, where I should hang out with the locals. I wish now I had tried to spend more time with them from the beginning.
July 10, 2009
When my parents came they were depressed by the lack of decorations in my house and bought some vitenge, brightly-colored sheets, to hang up around my walls. Vitenge have short sayings on the bottom, which are meant to send messages, maybe like sports clothing in America. Unlike sports clothing vitenge are sometimes used to communicate directly with somebody; for example a woman whose husband drinks too much maybe would not confront the man directly but would wear a sheet saying “alcohol is unclean” or something.
So my parents bought some vitenge, choosing them by the colors. I had no idea what the Swahili expressions mean and didn’t even think about them when I bought them. Two students came to my house Wednesday night. One says “I’m behaving out of goodness, you out of vanity.” The other says “I regret I ever knew you.”
So my parents bought some vitenge, choosing them by the colors. I had no idea what the Swahili expressions mean and didn’t even think about them when I bought them. Two students came to my house Wednesday night. One says “I’m behaving out of goodness, you out of vanity.” The other says “I regret I ever knew you.”
July 7, 2009 - Saba Saba (7-7) Day
Churches have a huge amount of influence in Africa. Ndanda is like a 13th century mission, where the Abbey supplies all social services and acts as the only functioning government; for example the abbey bottles and sells its water, Ndanda Springs, and advertises that it is under church control.
This can lead to some awkward conversations. Moses, chairman of our health club, is also involved with the respect life organization and came to show me some papers fighting abortion, gay rights, condom use, and euthanasia. Apparently a (german) nun, sister Bridgette I think, had given a speech last year attacking all these issues – which is fine, but she grossly misrepresented most of them. I spent about an hour with Moses, trying to show him the other side of the issues, and since then a few other students have come to me with questions.
Along with the aid organizations and social services, the west also exports its problems, or at least skewers emphasis on local issues. No honest observer, either pro-choice or pro-life, can argue that abortion is one of Tanzania’s pressing issues. The government is corrupt or nonfunctioning, the schools and health systems are in tatters, transportation is a mess, some 10% of the population has HIV, and the majority of the population lives on less than 1$ a day. Set against all of these things, some of our problems fade into the background, and this is the first time I’ve heard an African mention abortion. Western ideologues come with money or information and try to spread opinions that have little relevance to local problems.
This can lead to some awkward conversations. Moses, chairman of our health club, is also involved with the respect life organization and came to show me some papers fighting abortion, gay rights, condom use, and euthanasia. Apparently a (german) nun, sister Bridgette I think, had given a speech last year attacking all these issues – which is fine, but she grossly misrepresented most of them. I spent about an hour with Moses, trying to show him the other side of the issues, and since then a few other students have come to me with questions.
Along with the aid organizations and social services, the west also exports its problems, or at least skewers emphasis on local issues. No honest observer, either pro-choice or pro-life, can argue that abortion is one of Tanzania’s pressing issues. The government is corrupt or nonfunctioning, the schools and health systems are in tatters, transportation is a mess, some 10% of the population has HIV, and the majority of the population lives on less than 1$ a day. Set against all of these things, some of our problems fade into the background, and this is the first time I’ve heard an African mention abortion. Western ideologues come with money or information and try to spread opinions that have little relevance to local problems.
July 4, 2009
Yuko Otake is a JICA nurse who works in the closet town, Masasi; I had trouble remembering what her name was at first until she told me it meant “tall bamboo pole.” But after Erina left I got in touch with as many of her friends as I could, and ended up with her number; we ate lunch together today.
And what a lunch it was. As a program, JICA’s biggest weakness is lack of language, and Yuko knows neither English or Kiswahili. If I didn’t know this beforehand I figured out over our phone messages, when we couldn’t figure out what time to meet – I tried some Japanese but that only made her more confused. When I arrived we walked around buying flour and juice, when I found out we were going to eat lunch with a bunch of her friends at a (Japanese) civil engineer’s house. None of them know English or Swahili that well either but Yuko’s was worse, she couldn’t translate conversations for me. At one point, after not understanding their conversation for some two hours, the host asked my age. I’m at least three years younger than everyone else in the room. The meal ended when I had to run off to catch the last bus and had to ride standing and crammed between some thirty other passengers.
And what a lunch it was. As a program, JICA’s biggest weakness is lack of language, and Yuko knows neither English or Kiswahili. If I didn’t know this beforehand I figured out over our phone messages, when we couldn’t figure out what time to meet – I tried some Japanese but that only made her more confused. When I arrived we walked around buying flour and juice, when I found out we were going to eat lunch with a bunch of her friends at a (Japanese) civil engineer’s house. None of them know English or Swahili that well either but Yuko’s was worse, she couldn’t translate conversations for me. At one point, after not understanding their conversation for some two hours, the host asked my age. I’m at least three years younger than everyone else in the room. The meal ended when I had to run off to catch the last bus and had to ride standing and crammed between some thirty other passengers.
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