Tung-Po Lin

Dr. Tung-Po Lin, 95, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2023 at his home in Northridge, California. Tung-Po was a beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.  As a professor, he touched countless students’ and colleagues’ lives during his career.  He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends but left a lasting legacy in our hearts.

Tung-Po was born on December 31, 1927 in Beijing, China.  He was the second of six siblings with an older sister, two younger brothers, and two younger sisters. He grew up primarily in SzeChuan through high school. In 1945, after WWII, his parents and 3 youngest siblings moved to Taiwan while Tung-Po and his 2 older siblings stayed in Nanjing to attend National Central University.  In 1949, during the Communist revolution, he finally rejoined his family in Taiwan. In the early 1950s, he was accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Boston) to study for his PhD in Physical Chemistry. His first job was at DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware as a chemical engineer.

He married his wife, Emily Sheng, on August 25, 1956.  They had 4 children.

In 1961, he answered his calling to become an educator in the field of his first true academic love, mathematics, and moved his family to Northridge, California to become a professor of mathematics at California State University, Northridge.  His career at CSUN spanned nearly 40 years where he served time as chairman of the mathematics department.  He was also a founding member of the China Institute at CSUN, tasked with strengthening ties between the US and China through education. He was instrumental in starting several libraries in rural areas of China.

He was also a founding member of the San Fernando Valley Chinese Cultural Association (SFVCCA).  He was a member of the Chinese American Engineers and Scientists Association of Southern California (CESASC) and served as their president in 1973. In his later years, he joined his wife and attended the Community Christian Alliance Church – Mandarin Congregation.

Tung-Po is survived by his wife, Emily (married for 66 years),

his 5 siblings: Yula Yang, Tung-Yung Lin, Olivia Lee, Julia Pao, and Tung-Shan (Tom) Chen,

his 4 children: Patricia, Bessie, Jeannie, and Johnny,

his 13 grandchildren: Saliha, Ridwan, Khalil, Remington, Hassan, Hussein, Brandon, Jameson, Ethan, Matthew, Katherine, Kina, Aki

and his 3 great grandchildren: Adara, Kalayla, Jude.

Memorial services/Celebration of Life will be held on

Saturday, May 20, 2023, 10:00 am

Community Christian Alliance Church, 15950 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, CA 91344

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial donations be sent to:

SFVCCA, 8224 Yolanda Ave, Reseda, CA  91335

                                     or

Chinese Christian Alliance Church, 15950 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, CA 91344