Yea-Hwa Liao

Yea-Hwa (literally “Moon Beam”) Liao, nee Chang was born on September 30, 1935 in Taipei, Taiwan to a doting father.  She died peacefully on December 15, 2022 at age 87 in Plano, Texas with a loving son at her side.

She attended elementary school under Japanese occupation, witnessing B-29 bombing runs from the ground, the liberation of Taiwan by American forces, and the transition of that country to Nationalist Chinese rule.  She worked as an operating room nurse upon graduation from nursing college in 1957, first in Taiwan, then Libya, and later in New York.  At age 42, in 1977, she graduated from the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy. Shortly after that, she and husband purchased Columbus Pharmacy (renamed CNG Pharmacy in the early 2000s) on Gramatan Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York.  She and her husband, known to their customers as Casey and Paul, were beloved members of the community for many years.  They also purchased and operated a Carvel Ice Cream franchise in the Bronx concurrently with their pharmacy for a few years.  After 20 years in pharmacy, at age 62, she earned an MD degree from Jinan University in China, where she practiced briefly. To those who knew her, Casey was hardworking, charming, and relatable.

Casey married architectural draftsman Po-Ting (Paul) Liao in 1959 and bore him three children: George followed by Nancy in Taiwan, and then Peter in Libya.  She and Paul immigrated to the United Sates in 1968 and lived in Missouri and Louisiana before settling in Bronx, New York, whereupon they sent for their children who had been living with her mother in Taiwan.  She gained guardianship of her orphaned niece Marian, who lived with them in Mount Vernon.  She lived alone after Paul’s death in 2004 until 2019, when she left her life in Mount Vernon to be with George and his wife Carolyn in California.  The three later moved to Plano, Texas in 2021. George, Carolyn, and their children witnessed Casey’s baptism in 2007.  She had been God’s beloved work in progress until called home.

She is survived by her son retired pharmacist George Liao and his wife Carolyn Liao of Plano, Texas and grandchildren Wesley Liao, Melinda Julian and husband Jamison Julian, and Laura Liao; daughter Dr. Nancy Liao and her husband Dr. Bill Chang of Taipei, Taiwan and grandchildren Megan Chang and John Chang; son Peter Liao PhD and his wife Ann Rosa Liao of Santa Rosa, California and grandson Thomas Liao.

Funeral service will be held at Allen Family Funeral Options on Tuesday, December 27, 2020 at 10:00 AM, with viewing at 9:00AM and lunch following the service. You may access a live webcast of the service at: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/82517

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to:

Bible Fellowship Baptist Church

9000 Horn Road Ste 1

Sacramento, CA 95827