Albert Tzong-Jyh Chan was born in Massachusetts in 1987. He had lived in Northern California since he was two months old. He had a passion for languages and literature. He spoke English, Mandarin, Spanish, and Russian. He also enjoyed reading, music, and dancing. Albert had suffered from treatment-resistant depression since he was in high school. He spent his last two high school years at Montana Academy, a therapeutic prep school. 

Albert studied at Willamette College for one year but his depression had the better of him and he had to return home. Albert studied Accounting on and off  at Foothill/De Anza Community Colleges while working at Peet’s Coffee and Kumon. It was at Kumon that Albert discovered his true passion for linguistics and his desire to help children. In 2019 Albert joined SJSU’s Speech Language Pathology Program as a third year student. He was a 2020 SJSU Dean’s Scholar. 

Albert was a generous and kind-hearted person, well-liked by his peers. He was not materialistic and could care less about fame or fortune. His life goal was to advance linguistic research that could be used to help children with speech disorders, but God has a different plan for him. 

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The social isolation imposed by the pandemic took a fatal emotional toll on Albert. His death was a complete shock to his parents, as Albert was making big plans for his future even the night before his parents found him comatose in the early morning of Tuesday October 20. 911 was called and Albert was taken to the Stanford Emergency Room. He was subsequently admitted to the ICU but his brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long. He was pronounced brain-dead two days later, on Thursday October 22. His parents honored Albert’s prior pledge to donate his organs on his death. Albert was able to donate his lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and other tissues that could potentially save and improve the lives of many other people. We like to believe Albert is still living among us through his organ recipients. Albert is survived by his beloved cat Belushi, and his loving parents Arvola and Ginn. He will be forever in the fond memories of his parents.

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Albert was passionate about Russian literature. The following is an English translation of a Russian poem by Arseny Tarkovsky that resonated with Albert. He shared this with his emotional support group earlier this year.

    And now summer has left as if it never came at all.
    It's warm still where the sun falls.
    But it's not enough.

    Whatever I wanted to happen fell right into my hands
    like a five-fingered leaf.
    But it's not enough.

    The just and unjust played their necessary part and burned into light.
    But it's not enough.

    Life tucked me behind its back and shielded me from cuffs.
    I've had such good luck.

    But it's not enough.

    My leaves have yet to blaze; my branches have not yet broken.
    The day is clear as glass -- but it's not enough.