Joseph Cen Hwang

Obituary for Joseph C. Hwang, PhD (1920-2022)

Dr. Joseph C. Hwang of Beltsville, Maryland, passed away peacefully at home on November 25, 2022 with loved ones by his side at the venerable age of 102 years. Joseph was born in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China to mother Dong Se Hwei and father Hwang Tze Jin. He escaped to the Philippines during WW2, where he married his first wife Cirila. The couple eventually moved to Maryland where Joseph earned an MS in Parasitology and a PhD in Entomology and Parasitology from the University of Maryland. After working as a scientist in multiple venues and teaching Biology at the American University in DC, Joseph spent the remainder of his career as a Health Scientist Administrator at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health, retiring in 1986.

Outside of work, Joseph led a very active extracurricular life. He was an avid world traveler, making friends across the globe, and served as a translator for President Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping of China in 1979. Joseph was both a musician and music lover, playing the violin, cello, and harmonica, and he enjoyed belting arias along with the great tenors on 8-track, cassette tape, CD and DVD. He was a prolific painter and calligrapher, as well as a scholar, intellectual, and organizer of a variety of academic and social groups. He impacted many lives over his 102 years.

Joseph was preceded in death by his three older brothers and two older sisters and his wife Cirila. He is survived by his daughters Grace and Gilda, his grandchildren John, Dawn and Kyle, and his great-granddaughter Aria. He married Victoria Myiang in 2003 and is survived by her, her children Jessica and Justin, and her grandchildren Rylie, Liyah and Nadia. A memorial service will be held at Borgwardt Funeral Home in Beltsville, MD on December 10, 2022.