Dae Cha

Cha, Dae Y. of Kalamazoo Dae, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday afternoon, May 5, 2016 at his home. He was born on September 25, 1936 in Daejeon, South Korea, the son of Jung Sup and Mal Joo (Choi) Cha. On July 10, 1965, Dae was united in marriage to Ellen Song. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Industrial Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University, a M.S. in Chemical Engineering by Examination from University of California, Berkley, and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Dae was employed by The Upjohn Co. (now Pfizer) for 38 years until his retirement in 2004. He was awarded the Upjohn Achievement in Science and Medicine Award in 1991. Dae was a founding member of the Korean Christian Reformed Church of Kalamazoo and was a founder and first president of the Southwest Michigan Korean American Association. Surviving are his wife of 50 years: Ellen Cha; their three children: Dr. Christine Cha, Eric (Dr. Stephanie) Cha, and Dr. Andrea (Dr. Adam) Wolfe; seven grandchildren: Kai and Malia Billingsley, Natalie and Ethan Cha, and Olivia, Isabella, and Sadie Wolfe; sister: Sr. Isabella Cha; and several nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents and brother: Francis Chia. A funeral service to celebrate Dae's life will be celebrated at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, May 10, at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 S. 9th Street, where friends may visit with his family from 5-6 PM. Rev. Yoon Whan Kim and Rev. Dr. Christian Oh will officiate. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Korean Christian Reformed Church of Kalamazoo or the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra. Please visit Dae's personalized webpage for directions, his online guestbook, or to leave a condolence to his family at www.langelands.com.