Richard Tak-ki Yu

Richard Tak-ki Yu passed away on September 23, 2026 after a long battle with cancer. His family was by his side. Richard was a gentle and deeply feeling person who always saw the humor in life. He imbued everything he touched with an air of creativity. He had wide-ranging, eclectic tastes and a deep passion for music and the arts.

 

Richard was born and raised in Hong Kong, the youngest of his four siblings. He went by "Dicky," the English approximation of his Chinese name Tak-ki. He sang bass in the school choir. He befriended dogs and ants. He formed bonds with school mates that he kept until the very end.

 

He moved to the United States after high school to attend college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, he cemented his dedication to the arts by declaring his major in Comparative Literature. His dream was to become a poet and his poems were recognized by his professor, Willis Barnstone, as "among the most interesting and accomplished of any student I have seen in many years."

 

Richard endeavored to continue his literary pursuits as a graduate student at Indiana University. However, he ultimately made the practical decision to switch to a Computer Science degree. He met his future wife, Lan-feng, in one of those computer science classes. After graduation, they moved together to New Jersey where Richard pursued a successful career in telecommunications programming.

 

All those who knew him knew that Richard had many passions. He spent endless hours listening to classical music, hunting for records at Princeton Record Exchange, and tuning in to his favorite classical programming on WWFM. The librarians at the Hamilton Township Public Library hated to see him coming. He checked out hundreds of movies, books, and CDs. He fell in love with tennis, becoming captain of two teams and running a small racket stringing business from his home. He had a zest for life, which manifested in planning action-packed trips for his family to far flung places, among them Istanbul, Peru, and the Bavarian Alps. He was lucky to retire early, and spent those few years traveling to even further flung places (Jerusalem, Morocco, Cambodia) with Lan-feng. But, of all his passions and interests, his greatest love was for his family. He found no better comfort than being close to them and enjoying a meal and conversation together.

 

In 2016, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He met his diagnosis with bravery and endured countless rounds of treatment, eventually achieving remission. He was a strong survivor, fighting hard to get healthy after every set back so he could return home to be with the family he treasured. Although his life after cancer was much quieter and slower-paced, Richard never stopped finding things he loved to do. He began writing prolifically, publishing a collection of short stories and finishing a memoir. He busied his hands with building intricate 3D models. He delighted in his grandchildren, reading them stories for hours, staging elaborate "battles," and practicing sleight of hand magic tricks so he could fill their days with wonder.

 

He was one of a kind. We will miss him greatly. Richard is survived by his wife Lan-feng, children Stephanie and Jonathan, grandchildren Roswell and Iona, siblings, nieces and nephews, and beloved friends.

 

Instead of flowers, please make a donation to WWFM The Classical Network to support their wonderful programming (https://www.wwfm.org/).