Empty Nest Years

By the mid aughts, Yen-Sheng and Chen-Pei had a home to themselves once again, the children having left and begun to settle in new cities. They enjoyed a focussed routine at home in Happy Valley. Chen-Pei continued to serve in his faculty role and Yen-Sheng maintained the house, managed accounts and chores, and kept in touch with the children, friends, and family from afar.

Possessed of an ease with people, a winning charm, and a knack for making conversation with anyone, anywhere, Yen-Sheng made friends all over the map: with lab colleagues, department chairs, and custodial staff alike; on buses and airplanes, in Jazzercise classes, at the supermarket seafood counter and with sales associates at the mall department store. Shopping excursions to the supermarket inevitably lasted twice as long as the errand might have required, as she ran into friends and paused to chat till all of the recent news had been exchanged. A generous host and tireless cook, Loretta took pleasure in preparing lavish meals for family and friends, always making note of loved ones’ favorite dishes and crafting the wished for menu during their visits.

Yen-Sheng and David began to travel more after the children moved away from home and became more independent. Leslie spent time with her parents in France in 2005 and Kim travelled with her parents to Sweden and Norway in 2010. Ben traveled with his parents abroad when he was invited to give talks in Taiwan. As internet use became a common feature of daily life, Loretta discovered the Megabus company, and its direct routes between State College and a variety of destinations, especially amid the eastern United States. She paid attention to the timed ticket releases and became adept at scoring bus tickets at stunningly good prices. Among her favorite destinations were New York City and Boston, where many friends and family welcomed her.

The significant addition to our family was Dr. Helen Lai. She and Ben were married in 2006 near Easton, PA, where Helen had grown up, also in a family of five, the youngest of three children. The couple had met in San Francisco, were they were classmates at UCSF. Both Helen and Ben would continue to pursue careers in academia, and both are currently among the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Helen is currently an assistant professor of Neuroscience; Ben is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry.

Yen-Sheng and the rest of the family were thrilled to welcome their first grandchild, Eva Jing-Yu Tu, in November 2008. A couple of years later Eva’s brother, Evan Wen-Da Tu, would arrive in April 2011. It has been a lot of fun watching them grow up over the years. Yen-Sheng and Chen-Pei continued to travel, with their most exotic trip being a Silk Road tour that took them from Urumqi to Xi’an in June of 2012. Her last journey was a Caribbean Cruise in February 2016, to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, among other stops in paradise. The beautiful seascapes and island views, and the relaxing, festive atmosphere of this trip brought some needed cheer and respite from her illness.

Overwhelmingly, those who knew her recalled a warm, generous, spirited and optimistic presence who took pleasure in providing for her loved ones, and took pride in the character and accomplishments of her family. When she began to fall ill, she fought hard to take control of her health and maintain a positive outlook. Acknowledging that she had been fortunate to have traveled to many notable places, she allowed that there were still more destinations in the world she would have liked to experience with her family and grandchildren — the U.S. national parks, for example. To the degree she could, she focussed on eating sensibly, exercising, and spending time with loved ones, which she understood would serve her body and spirit well. For as long as she had the strength, she welcomed loved ones into her home and sought to provide for them.