Tiejian Dr. Wu

Dr. Tiejian Wu, age 48, passed away on Monday, February 7, 2011, at the Johnson City Medical Center. He died of complications from lung cancer. Born to Guangcai Wu and Lianzhen Wang, Dr. Wu grew up in a countryside village in the province of Shandong, China. At age 15, he attended medical school at Shandong University School of Medicine. After graduating, he obtained a masters degree in Biostatistics and served as an assistant professor at Shandong University. During this time, he met Yu Du, whom he married in 1988 at age 25. With their two-year-old daughter, Haijing, the couple moved to the United States in 1992. Dr. Wu completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Population Research Center at the University of Chicago. He earned a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1999, and spent three years as an assistant professor at Buffalo. In 2002, Dr. Wu joined the Departments of Public Health and Family Medicine at East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, TN, where he was promoted to associate professor and earned tenure. Doing research was a great passion of his; he primarily studied child obesity interventions, rural health disparities, and clinical epidemiology. Dr. Wu pursued his research ardently, working with focus, diligence, and devotion. In his workplace, he not only demonstrated leadership, but was also talented at collaborating with his fellow co-workers. Always going out of his way to help others, he was a constant source of care and support for his family, friends, colleagues, and students. He was devoted to both his family and the community - as a beloved husband and father, and as a member of Chinese Church of the Greater Tri-Cities. As a serious thinker, Dr. Wu sought to be knowledgeable of current events, while also enjoying the small pleasures of life, whether it be watching sports games or playing with the family dog. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, he kept a positive attitude, often remarking on the ways he was still very blessed. He faced his illness with an inner strength and determination to the very end. His last day was spent working a research grant and having a joyful dinner with loved ones. Dr. Wu is survived by his wife Yu Du and his daughter Haijing; his mother, Lianzhen Wang; his sister, Huixian; and his two brothers, Tiezhu and Tieqiang. A service will be held at Morris-Baker Funeral Home in Johnson City, TN, on Saturday, February 12, 2011, at 3pm. Pastor Chin will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2 to 3pm prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Chinese Church of the Greater Tri-Cities, 300 North Roan Street, Johnson City, TN, 37601 (423-434-0233). All proceeds will go towards the Dr. Wu Foundation, helping Dr. Wus daughter complete her college education.