Father's eulogy

My speech for my father's memorial service today:

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First of all, I would like to thank everyone for coming, for keeping my father in your memories. Your support means a lot to us.

My father was diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer during my freshmen year. He battled, and we battled long and hard for three and a half years until May, when his body gave way. He was 52, but a man's worth is not measured by the number of years. It is measured by his journey and his accomplishments. So I would like to take a moment to reflect on my experiences with him.

My father was a man who valued education greatly. When I was in 2nd grade, I remember him asking the teacher to give me more homework. I also attended our private math institute every summer. A couple years later, we moved to seek greater educational opportunities. He chose a house right across the street from the library just so I could specifically walk to and fro daily. I probably stepped in there twice annually. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have been able to attend a great university or the medical school I'm currently in without his support.

He was also a man who stressed strength. We used to do an Indian burn on each other until one of us cried mercy. When he was battling the cancer, he endured all the side effects: the rashes, the pain, the hair loss...the latter of which I thought made him appear wiser. And he had always asked in every doctor's visit, what other medications are there? Any clinical trials? He had the will to endure it all.

But the most important thing about him was that he enjoyed life. He played Badminton religiously every weekend, Friday-Saturday-Sunday, until exhaustion. He loved to invite everyone over to our house to check out his new toys: music, kareoke, his movie projector. He even drilled a hole in the wall to put speakers in just so we could have "surround sound". When I was in high school, we got a boat to take a couple of rides out on the lakes. And even in the last years, he tried to play ping pong every day with the spirit of victory.

As Thursday was Thanksgiving, I'd like to extend my thanks to him. Thank you for building a roof above our heads in America for me, my mother, and my brother. Thank you for instilling the value of education, and thank you for showing that there is strength yet fragility in life. I hope you continue to watch over us as we complete our own journeys.