William Chang

William "Bill" Chang, 95, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, passed away peacefully while sleeping in his home on July 24, 2022. He would have been 96 years old in September.

William was born on September 15, 1926 in the Hubei province of China where his father was governor and had played an important role in the Chinese Revolution of 1911. William’s father named his son the Chinese word for “peace”, following many years of political unrest that came after the revolution, and encouraged William to move to the United States where he could live a more peaceful and prosperous life.
William attended university in Detroit, Michigan, studying aeronautical engineering and holds a PhD in Applied Math from the University of Wichita. He also studied at Brooklyn Polytech and MIT. William worked for various aircraft and aerospace firms, including Beechcraft, Lockheed, Hughes Aircraft, Boeing, and Rockwell International. After retiring from Rockwell International where he worked on the space shuttle, he focused on business and banking and helped found American International Bank. When he eventually retired from banking, he worked at the non-profit organization AAEDE helping Asian entrepreneurs start their businesses.

William's hobbies included flying airplanes, collecting stamps, singing karaoke and playing tennis. He played tennis a few times a week with his friends until he was about 90 years old and only stopped when the group was no longer allowed to play on their normal court.

William also served as President of OCA- Asian Pacific American Advocates (formerly known as Organization of Chinese Americans), President of CESASC (Chinese Engineers and Scientists of Southern California), and was chosen as a California Elector for the Republican Party when Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr were elected to the US Presidency.

William is survived by Margaret, his wife of over 50 years, and by his children, Mark and Kristine, step children Nonie and Leon, and grandchildren Jessica, Elena, Katie, Kaylee, Christian and Emilie.

When asked what inspires him most of all, his answer was simply “compassion”. William lived to serve and help others, and took every opportunity to share his sense of joy, wonder, and enthusiasm for life with his friends, family, and community.

We will miss "Gong Gong" deeply. We will especially miss his kindness, his warm smile that would light up his face every day, and the hugs he gave his grandchildren every day for the past few years.