Tiong Gin Gan

A visitation in chapel for Tiong Gin will be held Tuesday, March 22, 2022 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park - Memorial Chapel, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601. 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM open microphone to speak about Tiong Gin. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at Memorial Chapel 1:00pm with burial to follow.

Tiong Gin will be laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601; Creekside Heights Monumnt Lawn; Gate: 1, Section: 5, Lot: 7606, Grave: 2.

BIOGRAPHY

Tiong Gin Gan was born on April 22, 1942 in Purwokerto, Indonesia to Koen Giok and Pwe Kit Koh Gan. The eldest of two, Gin studied biology in Indonesia. Tiong Gin married Giok Tien in 1964, after meeting her at the tennis circuit.

In 1965, Tiong Gin and Giok Tien went to Munich, Germany where Gin studied mechanical engineering. While in Germany, they had their first child, Liong Lie. In 1969, they moved to Southern California.

Tiong Gin worked in the fields of mechanical and aerospace engineer throughout his professional years working as a quality assurance engineer. In 1977, Gin and Tien gave birth to Hay Liong.

Tiong Gin had a passion and fascination for orchids. Gin had travelled all over Asia and the South Pacific in search of the rarest species of orchids. He extensively researched natural environments to duplicate these conditions in his greenhouse. Gin successfully grew many species that are now extinct in nature and a few of his orchids are among the few remaining in existence. Tiong Gin even discovered an orchid species named Lepenthes Gin-ganii that is recorded at the Kew Royal Botanical Garden. Later in his life, Tiong Gin also spent hours judging orchids in various locations in Southern California and the Big Island of Hawaii. Gin was also featured as an expert in the Orchid Digest.

Tiong Gin had many other hobbies and passions including photography, cars, tennis, collecting rare shells, listening to a wide breadth of music genres, and travelling the world.

Tiong Gin Gan is survived by his wife, Giok Tien Gan, his daughter Liong Lie Gan Penfield, his son Hay Liong Gan, his grandson Ethan Penfield, and his granddaughters Haley Penfield and Ella Gan.