From childhood, Di Chen was known as a natural leader, a title bestowed upon him by his father: Bossy Child. His sister Shirley Chen recounts, “From the day he was born, he assumed the role of the eldest with all its responsibilities.”
Born in 1929 in Zhejiang province, China, Chen’s early years were shaped by the tumult of World War II and the Chinese Civil War. He later became the first in his family to move to the United States, setting roots in Minnesota where he excelled in electrical engineering, contributing significantly to the development of optical memory technology, a precursor to CDs and DVDs.
A Life of Resilience and Innovation
Chen’s life began amidst conflict; his family moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion. Surviving a near-fatal bomb attack in Hong Kong, young Chen emerged as a survivor when others did not. After the war, they resettled in Shanghai, only to move to Taiwan following the Communist takeover. Here, Chen’s resourcefulness shone as he once smuggled an egg from his school lab to hatch at home for sustenance.
His academic journey took him to National Taiwan University for his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, followed by graduate studies in the U.S. At the University of Minnesota, he met his wife Lynn, and after furthering his education at Stanford with a Ph.D., he returned to Minnesota. His career at Honeywell focused on pioneering work in optical memory technology.
Community Leader
Beyond his scientific contributions, Chen was instrumental in nurturing the Chinese cultural presence in Minnesota. Co-founding the Chinese American Association of Minnesota (CAAM) in 1965, he played a key role in community building. Later in life, he rallied support to fund the Chinese Garden at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
“He’s the pillar of the family, and a pillar of the Chinese community,” his sister Shirley proudly stated.
Later Years
After years in Colorado, Chen and Lynn returned to Minnesota, settling into a home he designed by Lake Minnetonka. In his later years, photography became a passion, capturing the beauty of the night sky, notably being the only one in his workshop to successfully photograph a shooting star.
Di Chen passed away at his home in Mound on October 14, 2019, at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy in science, community leadership, and personal resilience.