Shien-Sen Perng

Dr. Shien-Sen Perng, born December 1, 1939, passed away on June 4, 2024 at Inova Fairfax Hospital from complications of stage 4 diffuse B-cell lymphoma. Born in Miaoli County, Taiwan, town of Houlong, he is the eldest the son of Perng Chun-Xing and Huang Hai-Mei.

He graduated from National Taiwan Normal University, and received a Master’s degree from National Tsinghua University. He married the love of his life, Mei-Yu Shaw Perng, in 1967. They were married for 56 years until her passing in October 2023.

In 1969, he left Taiwan on a student visa and scholarship to the University of Illinois where he earned a Ph.D. in Statistics.

In 1974, he moved to the Washington D.C. area. He became a professor of mathematics at Howard University, continuing as an adjunct professor while working at the IRS. He later joined the U.S. Customs Service, turned Department of Homeland Security, where he worked in the Office of Strategic Trade until his retirement. As a Federal Employee, he developed mathematical models to collect delinquent taxes and guard ports of entry, receiving several commendations for his work.

A former President of both the Taiwanese American Association of the Greater Washington Area and the Haaka Association, Shien was a leader in the Taiwanese-American community.

Shien spent his retirement enjoying his many passions including 18 holes of golf at Algonkian Regional Park, music, nature hikes in the Shenandoah Mountains and Harpers Ferry, traveling the U.S. and the world with friends and family, and gardening on a daily basis. He enjoyed these pursuits until the last month leading to his unexpected passing.

Shien is survived by daughter Susan and son-in-law Jeffrey Pan, son Phillip, grandchildren Virginia and Jefferson Pan, and sisters, Sizhen, Yuehying, Yueho, Yuemei, brothers Shienmiao, Shienyan, and fourteen nieces and nephews in Taiwan.