鲍歌 Paul Bao (1957 – 2016)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We gather here with heavy heart today to mourn the death and celebrate the life of Mr.  Bao Ge, (his Chinese name）also known as Paul Bao (Paul is his English name). Mr. Bao was a professor of USF and also a member of current board of CAAT-abbreviation for the Chinese American Association of Tampa Bay. He is also the dear friend of ours. In mid-November, he felt some discomfort in his abdomen area and he asked his friend Lisha Dong to take a look at it. Being a nurse, Lisha quickly found there was something wrong with his liver. So she urged him to see a doctor as soon as possible. It was only a little bit more than a month ago, now he’s already gone. All this happened really too fast, so fast that we all feel it is not real, we just cannot accept the fact that he left us so soon. We feel he is still living among us. He will party, chat, drink and sing Karaoke and play cards with us. But the reality is so ruthless that he has indeed gone forever. He has departed us as quietly as he came to us in Tampa more than 10 years ago. In his last days in the hospital, these people Ms. Wendy, Yu Keming and his wife, Sunjin, Xu jinzhi, Dr, Cui Dongming, Dr. Xu ning, He Hongwei, Xue Wei and Frank, Dr. Wang Zuozheng Dong Lisha and Mahuoqun  and many other of his friends went to see him many times and tried to give him some comfort and support. Here I would like to thank them on behalf of CAAT.

As we know his name is Bao Ge, Ge in Chinese means song, in Chinese language Ge sounds a little bit feminine but also beautiful, perhaps his parents wish Bao Ge’s life would be like a beautiful song,  But today the life of the song has ended forever. We can never hear the song any more. But Mr. Bao Ge has lived up to his parent’s wishes, he composed a beautiful song for his own life by pursuing perfection, by never giving up his dream. He lived a good rich life by pursuing beautiful things in the world.  With a very popular saying in China today that we can say he lived a life of full of positive energy.

Bao Ge was an educator, and he loved and very devoted to his profession. When he didn’t feel well in November, he didn’t even ask for one day sick leave, and stayed on the job till the last day of the Semester. When we went to see him in the hospital he still talked about going back to teach once the new semester starts. In the hospital bed, he asked his sister to bring the computer to him so he could grade the exam of his students. He taught for more than 20 years and had students all over the world, he was just like a candle, illuminated others and burned himself till the very end.

I first met him about three years ago, I noticed right away that he was very different from everybody else. He was in a bright color Polo shirt with collar rolled up and a pair of snow white pants, wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses, giving me an impression of very cool and fashionable young man. This image is very different from people’s prototype of a bookish professor. Later I know this is his signature dress. He always dressed the same way and he hates formal dress. This probably represents his un-retrained personality. He loves bright red color. He even decorated his home with red accent. His love for red color reveals the warm side of Bao Ge and his appreciation for beautiful things.  In Chinese culture, red color always associates with beauty or beautiful things. He loves anything beautiful and he always presents himself a very clean cut and handsome man to others. Even in the hospital bed, he still refused to wear the patient robe and insisted on wearing his beloved polo shirt. As we know more about him, I also found he is a man very truthful and never pretentious or phony. What you see in him is him. He never hides his preference and his appreciation for certain things regardless of what other people may think. When we became friends, we partied, talked and drank together. In all the time, I found more of his unique qualities. I found he is a very knowledgeable man, and has very rich experience in life. He is always eager to lean and full of curiosity about the world.  He traveled more than 120 countries around the world. He is very proud of his travel experience and he said just this alone his life is worthwhile.  When you had a conversation with him whatever topics it is whether it’s about history, or current politics, whether it is about China or the world , whether it’s about military or economy he could carry on the conversation and lot of time he can recite some of the ancient Chinese poems as analogy to summarize what we are talking about.  This just showed how well he read Chinese ancient literature. You have to leaned those poems and have good memory to remember, then find a proper line to fit in the topic of the conversation.  Not many people are capable of doing it. For him, it comes so easy and natural.  I also found Mr. Bao Ge is a man of people. He is polite and gentle. He loves people and likes to make friends with people. He has friends of different age, gender and race.  Just look at today that there are so many people come to his funeral is a testimony that how many friends he had. When he talked to you, he never imposed his view on you. He never shows the arrogance of a professor, and no matter who he is, he always treats you at equal terms. That is why his friends always feel comfortable with him when they are around him. His modest and easy to get along personality gained him a lot of friends and respect and love. That is why when we tried to get his picture to reflect his life in Tampa in for the funeral, almost every Chinese in Tampa can contribute some pictures taken with him.

Mr. Bao Ge does not only like to make friends, he is also willing to help. He is very active in the Chinese community. He served two terms as the chairman of Asian Alliance of USF and this year we also had the honor to have him to serve as the board member of CAAT.   He enthusiastically participated in all activities of Chinese Community in Tampa, whatever assignment the board gave him, he would be gladly to take it. We were even discussing how to raise fund for the Chinese Traditional New Year Celebration just before he was hospitalized. While we are memorizing Bao Ge here today, we should learn these virtues and fine qualities from him, dedicated to the career, devoted to friends and love for the people.

Bao Ge’s death is a great loss to our community and also to myself as a great friend. .    We just had Thanksgiving meal together at my home not long ago. In my wildest dream, it would never occur to me that I’m standing here to deliver this eulogy. He had very strong desire to live and is very much looking forward to life in the future. Even in his last days, He never gave up his confidence that he would be fine and would recover from the illness.  He told everybody that went to see him that he would be OK. We feel terribly sad that he left us too early at his prime age. He still had a lot of unfinished things to do. Many people told me that these days Bao Ge’s image has been in their minds and whenever you open or close the eyes, he is right there. Yes He didn’t die, he still lives in our heart. He shall be remembered forever. May he rest in peace!

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen!

I’m Wei Xue, my welcome to all of you.

On behalf of Paul’s family both here and abroad, I am both privileged and honored to be part of this very special moment, honoring this very extraordinary man.

Today we are here to celebrate and commemorate the life of our dear friend Paul.

Paul was a man that brought joy and friendship into my life. His ability to look beyond anyone’s shortcomings was in my opinion one of Paul’s best gifts to all of us. Paul could make everyone; (including me) feel important and could bring a spirit of cheeriness into a room, even on the worst of days. That was just Paul’s way.

Paul was a man that is not dictated by other people’s opinion. He valued a person on their own merit, actions, and contributions and formed his own opinions. Paul was not controlled by the preferences or the negative words of another. Paul always had the way to find the good in someone and then using his positive ways to build them up. I know this for a fact, because this is how Paul treated me, always pushing me to succeed, always helping me find my way, when others sometimes were not be so kind and I did not feel so deserving. That was just Paul’s way.

Our friend Paul was a wise scholar and dedicated his life to teaching people the knowledge he obtained through his years of studies and life experiences. Paul understood so many technologies and what it could mean to a local society and others around the world. He spent his life teaching his students how to take the practices and principles he knew so well, to better themselves and those they would touch. That was just Paul’s way.

As anyone in this room knows, Paul loved his mother, sisters and friends.  He would always take the time to let them know how important they were to him.  We all saw the way he treated others. I know Paul was often called upon to provide guidance to so many, and would give advice happily, but Paul would do this without imposing his interpretation or opinion, but allowing that person (sometimes me) to find their own answers. That was just Paul’s way.

Paul enjoyed supporting the community and was always accommodating to all of us who asked. It didn’t matter whether it was being part of a committee meeting or simply being at a party, singing karaoke, taking pictures, having a good laugh and making everyone feel at home. Paul simply had a way of making people feel comfortable and welcomed. That was just Paul’s way.

This is a somber time…. A time to reflex on a special person, a son, a husband, a brother, a friend…

I hope today, this moment, brings peace to those who will miss our friend, our Paul so deeply.

For this is the celebration of a man with a big heart and a great soul.

As all of us spending this time together, let’s be heard as one voice, let’s remember Paul and know each and every one of us have been blessed by having him in our life. I’m sure we will all continue to feel a multiple of emotions about our significant loss of this good man.

BUT I know Paul would want us to support each other during this time together today, I’m sure Paul would want us to use this time to hug and comfort each other, and be there for an old or a new friend letting them know they’re always loved and you are with them at a time like today. Because, that was just Paul’s way.