May your light shine forever, Dr. Wang.

Dr. Wang was truly a class act and a wonderful professor. I had the privilege of studying Chinese Traditional Architecture from him in 1994. Some of my fondest memories of my CAUS years come from my interactions with Dr. Wang. Though immensely intelligent, he was always so humble. The news of his passing is so very sad. My deepest condolences to his family.

I will miss Joe greatly. I always looked forward to visiting with him anytime we were both in Blacksburg at the same time. I regret that I never managed to have an opportunity to travel with Joe, especially to China. Although we will miss Joe, his legacy lives on in his beautiful family. I am so thankful for Joe's friendship, as well as the friendship of his family. Joe had eagerly anticipated meeting my wife Matilde, but sadly that was not to be. We both send our love to Joe and the entire Wang family, and to his many dear friends.

Joe was a gentleman from another time.

- John Baird

Joe, I will miss you and our discussions about the Chinese language, and all the rest. I had never seen a picture of you as a soldier. I does not seem to fit with my image of you.
Arnold and Verna Schuetz

Joe was a wonderful friend. His legacy lives on in his children and grandchildren. I'm proud to have known him. -Sarah Friend

Ming Liang and Christine Tam

I feel fortunate to have known Joe, if only for a short time, through my work with the Community Foundation. I was always touched by the joy he took in reading scholarship applications, and appreciated talking with him on his doorstep when I dropped them off each year. His kindness was infectious, and I know it touched us at the Community Foundation and will continue to for many years to come. - Jessica Wirgau

Dear Dr. Wang, Ivy & I will remember you always.
Your Student & grandnephew.
Sam Yue

As your family gathers to honor your father, we want to express gratitude for having known Joe for over five decades; from his place early in our education and later as a colleague, we knew his sincerity and steadfastness to ideals -- his grace in eloquently providing wisdom steadied many. Gathering some of our fond memories, we remember the fun of his 'clown lecture' and the glee of students and faculty as quintessential Joe. More recently, when we met at the Moss after a performance, the conversation reminded us so much of him. Now, we're searching for an older photo taken by Rosalie Kilper of the faculty gathering for the champagne and strawberries at Smithfield to celebrate the end of the year. With faculty friends, Joe completes the scene with his cap and broad delight.
Robert and Donna Dunay

Ming Chiang and I first met Joe and June in the summer of 1967 when we were in Blacksburg looking for housing starting that fall. They were able to help us secure a rental apartment before leaving for England. When they returned with Michael and Mei-Lun in tow in 1971, we began our more than half a century of friendship. Even though I left Blacksburg in 1977, Ming Chiang remained as a faculty in the Physic Dept until 1984, during that period, he kept me informed about the family; especially the 4 children, Vincent & Xiao-Wei, whom I had visited in the hospital nursery when each was born. The last time I met all of you was at June’s memorial service, it seemed to me half of the town showed up. Since 1999, Joe and I have kept in touch through email and occasional phone calls. There are some interesting coincidences between our families. For example, my maiden name is Wang; Ming Chiang and Joe were born in the year of the dog, while June and I were in the year of tiger; we were married in the same year; my maternal grandparents were born in Soochow; my parents had 4 daughters; my father passed away at the age of 60, and my mother was widowed for 25 years. I always consider Joe & June as the most devoted parents to 4 very outstanding young adults and now mature professionals. He had been so proud of his own family “Gang of Four”. May all of you hold on to the fond memories and the joyful moments when you were together in different parts of the world.

On 4 July I saw a message from Peggy Chang and Fred Xia about the passing of our dear friend Wang Zhuo.
Tacheang and I were shocked and hugely saddened. I had somehow missed XiaoWei’s email six weeks earlier that Wang Zhuo had been admitted to hospital. We had missed the chance to talk to Wang Zhuo one last time.
We were comforted when we heard that in his final days Wang Zhuo was surrounded by his wonderful children and grandchildren.
We really miss him. Wang Zhuo was always concerned about our wellbeing and faithfully kept in touch with all his friends.
Wang Zhuo was a caring, thoughtful and special person. To think that we won’t have the chance to sit, chat, laugh and drink tea together fills us with sadness.
He was a true friend. We will miss him always.
From Choufong and Tacheang

I have never met Dr. Wang, but I have heard so much about his great contributions to the Chinese community in Blacksburg. Throughout my children's childhood, they benefited from the wonderful community Dr. Wang established and built. I am fortunate enough to know Dr. Wang's son, Vincent, and his wonderful family. Dr. Wang's legacy lives on and continues to guide our community.

I will remember Joe for his knowledge and interest in everything, his photography, and his humor. I am glad I got to know him.

Uncle Joe is a beloved family friend whom we will miss greatly.

Young-tsu and Sylvia are thinking about the many conversations, hearty laughter, and intellectual discussions they shared with Joe and June over their years together in Blacksburg starting in the 1970s. During meals and hot tea, they bonded closely over their shared values, caring for their families, and plans for the future.

As most know, Uncle Joe was a visionary architect and brilliant professor who co-founded Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies. He inspired countless students and colleagues over his four decades as a teacher, researcher, administrator, and advisor. In addition to their own course loads, Uncle Joe and Young-tsu co-taught a class on the Yuanmingyuan 圆明园, China's most famous imperial gardens. Many Chinese view Yuanmingyuan as the world's paramount achievement in palace architecture and landscape design. Joe was a mesmerizing storyteller who brought the intricacies of this magnificent complex to life from its beginning in the early eighteenth century and throughout its construction over the next 150 years.

In their earliest memories, Walter and Virgil can recall Uncle Joe's warm presence, gentle humor, and nurturing spirit. When Uncle Joe founded the Blacksburg Chinese School in 1979, he gave them and many other Chinese American children a strong and vital connection to their heritage. As the first principal, Sylvia worked closely with Joe and saw firsthand his gentle patience, robust energy, and exceptional teaching skills. The Blacksburg Chinese School continues to thrive 45 years later. Uncle Joe's unwavering commitment to enriching our community with a place to study and celebrate Chinese culture has profoundly impacted generations – and will continue to do so.

Our hearts go out to Michael, Mei-Lun, Vincent, Xiao-Wei, and their families. We see so much of Joe's and June's kindness, compassion, virtuosic talents, and boundless intelligence in each of them. They are a beautiful family carrying on Uncle Joe's remarkable legacy. Joe loved his family unconditionally, and we know how deeply proud he was of them. We celebrate Joe's extraordinary life and the impactful contributions he and his family continue to make to the world.

I was fortunate to work with Dr. Joe and we became friends after retirement meeting many times for lunch.....he was a dear friend and I will miss him.

I am 劉以伸 (Rory Liu), I was studying at ChengDa Architecture with Joe about the same period. Our class and the "Gang of Four" were pretty close friends. Let me toss in my two-cent:
I'm not 100% sure, probably I was also a high school schoolmate of Joe in Taipei, I remember in our bulletin board the poster announcing " 天才儿童王倉倉演奏会" etc.
Well, in the early 1960s, we used to be roommates in Chicago, in a rough Italian neighborhood near IIT. He had just graduated from Berkeley and started working for SOM. One weekend, the five or six of us, drove in a second-hand car just bought by another roommate and went to South of Chicago to visit Joe's "girlfriend," during which we spent a great time together.
It was Sunday evening, on our way back, however, our car got stuck on a railroad track and we couldn't push the car forward or backward. A knowledgeable passerby waved us away since a train was approaching. He lit a flair and pulled us far away from the tracks. The car was totaled and Joe couldn't find his suit to go to SOM the next day. I was new in America then, that was a shocker.
We also had to hold our grocery bags by hand and slow-run quite some distance from the supermarket. Each morning, Joe would make a rather meager sandwich himself before heading to the office. I remember he told me "Never eat the first slice of bread out of the pouch to keep the moisture in." He also showed me how to wrap the paper bag around the edge down so it would stay wide open as garbage bags, that , too, I am still practicing today.
We didn't have much of any contact over the years since Chicago until the Pandemic a couple of years ago, Molly and I got stuck in Hawaii for more than a year that we couldn't come back to New York. In solitude, Joe and I exchanged long emails to catch up on our lives after Chicago. So in a small way, I am up to date.
Sorry that we did not share our lives more. Best wishes to Joe's extended family.

Thank you for creating this online memorial. It is wonderful to learn more about him and his family. His beliefs in music, education, the importance of family, and the value of helping others are beautifully showcased through the stories and gallery. Thank you for sharing and celebrating the remarkable life he lived and the indelible impact he had on all of us. Dr. Wang will be deeply missed.

Kathy and I always looked forward to crossing paths with Joe on his neighborhood walks. He always had a kind or funny word to brighten our day. In spring and summer he took a special interest in the new goslings and ducklings at the pond, and whenever we see them now we will think of Joe.

Linda and I always had a special place in our heart for Joe. He was a faculty of mine (Jack) in 1975, and then a wonderful colleague from 1984 until my retirement in 2019. Jack also enjoyed traveling with Joe to Peru with many colleagues. Since then we communicated to check on each other. He and I enjoyed a common interest in Chinese Gardens. His knowledge sharing, particularly about Suzho, was very useful in our travels in China. Most importantly, he was a wonderful person.

Joe, always a kind, considerate and thoughtful colleague, we are truly blessed and honored to say that over the years Joe became a deeply valued friend.
We miss him.
Joanna and Donald Sunshine

My late husband and I enjoyed Joe's friendship so very much! He loved his late wife and his family so much! He was such a support when my John died. I will miss his conversations and texts about music, for he was, like me, a listener to classical music and opera. He had a wonderful family, because he was a wonderful human being.

We were not fortunate enough to have met Joe earlier. We, however, in the last ten years have had opportunities to spend time with him when he visited his daughter in California. Other than his remarkable achievements and multiple talents, he always amazed us with his graceful character, amicable personality, and extremely witty sense of humor. To us his departure is only temporary, he will have a place in our hearts forever.

Dr. Wang was a great human being. I so enjoyed talking to him when he called or had an appointment with Carilion Clinic Family Medicine in Christiansburg. He was such a pleasant man and always so courteous. He will be missed. He would always say “Where’s MS. Margie. “ ❤️

Joseph will be deeply missed by his siblings in Christ at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Blacksburg. He was such a kind and generous man who always placed the needs of others before his own. What a great legacy of kindness and compassion he leaves behind, as he touched so many lives and made so many positive contributions to the Virginia Tech, Luther Memorial and Blacksburg communities. May he rest in peace and light perpetual. --Rev. Monica Weber

We will miss our beloved neighbor, Mr. Wang. Our son loved to look out of our windows and announce to us whenever Mr. Wang was coming or going from one of his many neighborhood walks, and often shouted a greeting from an open window. Mr. Wang asked us to let him know if he ever played his music too loudly, but we frequently found ourselves opening our windows when we heard his classical music begin playing next door so we could enjoy as it carried inside with the breeze. He will be forever cherished and forever missed.

I only met him briefly, but I have had the great fortune to know Xiao-Wei and Alan and Max and Alexa. If he did nothing else but bring these wonderful humans into the world, that would have been more than enough. But of course he did much more. Sending love to the whole family.

The passing of an old friend has left a profound void in my heart. Dr. Wang and I used to have weekly coffee at Our Daily Bread when I first came to VA. His absence is deeply felt, and the laughers and memories we shared together are cherished treasures that I hold close. He was not just a friend, but a pillar of wisdom, kindness, and support to me and many International students from Taiwan and China! We miss you, Dr. Wang ~*