In Memoriam
Kuo-tung CHOU
By Dr. Donalda Ammons, Past President, International Committee of Sports for the Deaf

I am deeply honored to be asked to write a eulogy of my dear friend, Mr. Kuo-tung Chou, who has unexpectedly departed us a few weeks ago. It was not long after the conclusion of the 21st Summer Deaflympics in his homeland, where at the opening ceremonies he had the honor of lighting the flame! I know he was very pleased to have witnessed the "Best Deaflympics Ever". He was very content!

My association with Mr. Chou began in the winter of 1991 when he traveled to Banff, Canada for the ICSD Congress, representing the Chinese Taipei Sports Association of the Deaf (CTSAD). At that time, CTSAD was not yet a member of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. The majority of the delegates did not know where Chinese Taipei was located on the map. In Mr. Chou's effort to gain ICSD congress delegates' votes for CTSAD’s membership application, Mr. Chou as a natural teacher made a great presentation on the country and deaf community of Chinese Taipei. As a result, CTSAD was instantaneously admitted. It was indeed incredible to see a fairly new deaf sports federation to host several international competitions in such a short span of time. It was made possible because of Mr. Chou's great leadership and guidance.

Mr. Chou had great attributes and to name a few, his sheer determination to make a difference in many people's lives. He traveled extensively in Asia to help many underrepresented deaf groups. He was also a great friend. He was the kind of friend that stands by you when you need somebody to be there. I think everyone who knows him very well would agree with me on this. I will also miss his sense of humor. He was the kind of person that would make everyone laugh so hard that they would end up crying.

I will definitely miss Mr. Chou's presence at future deaf sporting events. We shall not forget him. He never wanted to see people cry. He wanted to make everyone happy. Let's all think back and remember how Kuo-tung touched our lives. We should all be thankful that we were given the chance to have known a man named Mr. Kuo-tung Chou.

May he rest in peace and his legacy be passed upon future generations in Chinese Taipei, Asia and the world.