Obituary of Damien Chung-Mao Han

Damien Chung-Mao Han, M.D., M.P.H., 84, of Bloomington, IL, formerly of Vernon Hills, IL, passed away on May 20, 2015 at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, IL. Damien was born November 7, 1930 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the oldest of nine children of Dr. Chi-Fong Han and Lee-Yong Han (Wang). He married Pauline Chi-Fui Han (Chen) on February, 8, 1958 in Taiwan. He is survived by his wife and three children, Dr. John (Jane) Han, Bloomington, IL, Teresa (John) Hogan, Vernon Hills, IL, Dr. Steve (Mei-Ling) Han, Rowland Heights, CA; five sisters, Shu-Hwa Lin, Harvest, AL, Yu-Hwa Wang, Durham, NC, Chu-Hwa Kao, Wang-Hwa Chu, and Hong-Hwa Soong, Taiwan; and seven grandchildren, Jason and Ryan Han, Bloomington, IL, Sean and Olivia Hogan, Vernon Hills, IL, Samuel, Evelyn, and Milton Han, Rowland Heights, CA. Damien was very proud of his family, especially his seven grandchildren, and was able to spend time with each of them during his final days. He was preceded in death by his parents, two younger brothers, Chung-Zhe and Chung-Hong Han of Taiwan, and one younger sister, Cecelia Chiu of West Hartford, CT. Damien received his medical doctorate degree from Taiwan National Defense Medical Center in 1957, with a specialization in infectious tropical diseases. In 1965, he and his young family moved to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, where he worked as a medical consultant in their malaria control program. His work brought him to fascinating locales, including Afghanistan, Iran, India, Nepal, Thailand and Australia. In 1975, his family moved to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where Damien continued his work with malaria. In 1977, his family immigrated to the United States for better education opportunities. They settled in Evanston, IL, while Damien continued his tenure in Papua New Guinea. In 1979, longing to be with his family, he returned to Illinois to receive his Master’s in Public Health Administration from the University of Illinois-Chicago. From 1980 to 1985, Damien turned down opportunities to join the World Health Organization in the Middle East and Africa. Instead, he chose to stay close to his family, and accepted various positions in the Chicago suburbs. In 1985, he returned to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to work as a World Health Organization medical officer in their malaria control program. Shortly before his retirement in 1990, Damien was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Fortunately, he retained a positive, healthy lifestyle due to a balanced diet and daily exercise routine, as well as the diligent care and administration of medication from his loving wife, Pauline. As a result, he was able to live a very active, productive life throughout his retirement. In 2003, after Pauline retired from Pfizer (formerly Searle) Pharmaceutical Co., the couple moved to Bloomington, IL to be closer to their son, John. The couple divided their time between Bloomington and a winter home in Temecula, CA. Together they continued to travel, visiting destinations such as Taiwan, China, Japan, Malaysia, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Egypt. Damien enjoyed golfing, cooking, and giving candid investment advice. He was a faithful Cubs fan, and hoped for a World Series at Wrigley Field this season! Private interment will be held at Ascension Catholic Cemetery in Libertyville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Patrick Catholic Church of Merna, Bloomington, IL or St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church, Vernon Hills, IL. Funeral arrangements by McMurrough Funeral Chapel, Libertyville (847) 362-2626. Please sign the guestbook at libertyvillefuneralhome.com.