Obituary of Cheng Dah Pan

Cheng Dah Pan was born in Puli township, in Taiwan, on August 20, 1937. He went to school at Central Police College. After graduating, he worked as an immigrations officer at Songshan Airport in Taipei. In 1965, he left Taiwan with his best friend, Cheng Liao, to come to the United States to further his studies, getting a master’s degree from Michigan State University, and a second master’s at New York University. From 1969 until 1985 he worked for New York City, first as a youth service counselor, and then as a probation officer. From 1985, he worked for the New York State Division of Parole as a Parole Officer. He was then promoted to Senior Parole Officer, and stayed in that role until his retirement in 2006. As a hobby, he loved practicing Tai Chi and Qi Gong, and after retirement, would volunteer teaching the two martial arts at the church and the senior center. He also nurtured a passion for swimming, frequently practicing at the swimming pool and competing in many interstate swimming competitions. He won numerous gold and silver medals in the Garden State Games, as well as the National Senior Games, diligently attending the swimming meet every other year. In the past few years, he and his wife had been sightseeing Europe and Asia on various cruise vacations. In 2007, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent treatment and brought it into remission, but the cancer returned in 2015, spreading to his liver and causing the growth of a large tumor. After an attempt to control the growth was ineffective, an additional cancer was found in his stomach. In the end, after a brief but valiant struggle with the disease, he peacefully passed away in his sleep, and returned to God. For condolences, directions, or information call (201)-944-0100.