Tom Yuen turn out to be once on dialysis for 42 years, and I’m unhappy to learn that the serial entrepreneur who cofounded AST Research passed away at age 70 on February 13. But I’m contented to understand that he beat the potentialities on his kidney illness for far longer than doctors expected.
I met Yuen and the AST Research cofounders motivate within the 1990s when I worked on the Los Angeles Occasions in Orange County, California. I wrote a profile about why he turn out to be once so driven motivate in 1992.
Yuen turn out to be once born in Hong Kong and he immigrated to the U.S. in 1970.
Yuen suggested me motivate then that he married a Eastern lady. And that turn out to be once controversial for his Chinese language family motivate in as of late. He felt some pressure to be winning. Then, in 1973, he turn out to be once identified with a kidney illness and turn out to be once suggested medication would worth $15,000 a year. As an engineer at Hughes Airplane, he turn out to be once making $12,000 a year on the time.
Yuen turn out to be once laid off from that job in 1974, and he regarded thru the photos of a corporate annual file and noticed largely white men within the manager ranks. He decided that he would must begin his hold company to bag ahead and change into financially winning in give an explanation for to assign his hold existence and consume care of his family. (He’s survived by his wife Misako and their younger other folks Jennifer and Constance.
Yuen started AST Research in 1979 with Albert Wong and Safi Qureshey — an act that broke the glass ceiling. In 1980, Yuen’s kidneys failed and he learned he would be on dialysis for the remainder of his existence. That despatched him into overdrive.
The trio of founders had a Three Musketeers ethos, and the title of the company turn out to be once primarily based mostly fully on their first-title initials. They created the company valid earlier than the ruin of day of the PC era as IBM launched its PC and opened the door for clone producers to invent DOS-primarily based mostly fully computers. AST started out making scheme and at final made its hold PCs.
The company went public in 1984 and it grew to thousands of workers and billions in gross sales. It grew to alter into a Fortune 500 company and helped assign Orange Count on the map for tech industry prowess. Yuen left the company in 1992.
AST turn out to be once got by Samsung in 1997 and at final shut down in 1999. Yuen furthermore purchased the 3D audio agency SRS labs in 1993 and got PrimeGen Biotech, a stem cell research and trend agency, in 2002. He furthermore grew to alter into a prolific and generous donor in Orange County.
“Despite the incontrovertible fact that he turn out to be once sick for bigger than 40 years, the unbelievable strengthen of his wife and spine to build up his younger other folks the finest existence that you just will be in a location to imagine drove Tom to are living an unparalleled existence. In industry, he turn out to be once superb, centered, fairly of a likelihood taker and sooner or later very winning. In existence he turn out to be once caring, compassionate, and had an unyielding want to support other folks,” acknowledged Wai Szeto, industry affiliate and shut buddy of Yuen for 40 years, in a assertion.
Memorial Services
A memorial provider for Tom Yuen will be held March 12, 2022 at 2: 00 p.m. Pacific Time in Costa Mesa, California. Please RSVP by contacting Stacy Pham at [email protected].
Own a Donation
To commemorate Yuen’s passion for philanthropy, the family has requested that as yet any other of sending vegetation, chums and family donate to 2 causes he turn out to be once in fact :
· Toughen Stem Cell and Kidney Illness Research and UC Irvine – https://stable.give.uci.edu/ThomasYuenMemorialGifts
· Toughen Windfall Speech and Hearing Center (affiliate of CHOC Well being) – https://raiseup.choc.org/honor/TomYuen
Yuen’s affect had a legacy in tech. In 1986, AST got a tiny memory producer called Camintonn, whose principals David Solar and John Tu went on to possess Kingston Technology.
“Earlier than AST, Tom and I had been college roommates, and it turn out to be once clear even motivate then that he turn out to be once an true visionary. He had a knack for dreaming up colossal tips and bettering upon present tips in ways in which had been merely provocative. Whereas one of the necessary modern things he would propose to make sounded not seemingly to possess, he had a charismatic strategy that inspired and motivated engineers fancy me to carry his tips to existence,” acknowledged Wong, cofounder of AST Research, in a assertion.
“Making money turn out to be once never a necessary driver for Tom, as yet any other, he turn out to be yet again in taking on necessary challenges, discovering out from them, and seeing if the market would reward the fruits of our labor,” acknowledged Qureshey, cofounder of AST, in a assertion. “After his power kidney illness prognosis, Tom never slowed down, he valid tailored. He turn out to be once mettlesome to deal with all the pieces he had going on, yet he furthermore managed to care for a sure attitude and an uncanny want to be triumphant.”
Among his accolades, he earned a TechAmerica Lifetime Success Award in 2012 and the UCI Alumni Association’s Extraordinarius Award in 2014.
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