Colonel Dr. Wibowo Sutjahjo 1930-2018 It is with great sadness that the family of Wibowo Sutjahjo (蔡寶財- Tjoa Poo Tjai – Cài Bǎo Cái) announces his passing, on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at the age of 88 years. Born in Lamongan, East Java, Indonesia, on February 9, 1930, and a medical Internist by profession, Dr. Sutjahjo dedicated his life to the healing and caretaking of others. The 3rd of 8 siblings, Wibowo, helped his father make charcoal as a young child to support their family.
Growing up, he received a Dutch education, developing a passion for language, philosophy, and medicine early on. Upon completing his medical degree at the Gadjah Mada University, Dr. Sutjahjo joined the military and diligently served the large community of Jakarta, Indonesia as a medical lecturer, private practitioner, and at the peak of his profession he served as a doctor to both the Indonesian President as well as the Head of the Indonesian Army. During his tenure, Dr. Sutjahjo was fondly remembered by colleagues and patients alike for his great technical skill, fair treatment of everyone from all walks of life, and especially his integrity, humanity, and kindness.
Incredible self-discipline and determination were hallmarks of his life; like clockwork he awoke at 4:30am to start his day with breakfast, next he dedicated time to improving his craft, followed by a session tai-chi – all prior to getting ready for work at 6:30am. It was not uncommon for his work days to stretch until midnight. Beyond the office, Dr. Sutjahjo would spend every moment of free time to developing new skills knowledge through reading – whether it was waiting for his wife to grocery shopping, or on his way to work sitting through Jakarta’s famous traffic jams.
Though he had since retired from practicing medicine some years ago, his counsel and advice on all matters of life remained highly sought after and respected. Dr. Sutjahjo is survived by the love of his life Engelien Rahardjo (Kwee Eng Lien), whom he met during his medical studies and enjoyed a wonderful marriage of over 56 years, his daughter, Siunie, whom he could not be more proud of and deeply committed to, along with brothers Heru Hidayat (Tjoa Giok Hie) of Jakarta, and Tjoa Giok Twan of Texas, and numerous nieces, nephews, close friends, and acquaintances the world over. Beyond medicine, Wibowo was perhaps best known for being an avid reader, multi-linguist (read/write/speak 9 languages), a lifelong learner and someone who always examined a subject matter through multiple lenses and world views.
It was not uncommon to find him regularly engrossed in conversation or study on a very wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, economics, politics, culture, religion, philosophy, and psychology to just name a few. With his incredible breadth of knowledge and wisdom, he frequently served as a mentor to many, and a role model to all. Wibowo was eager to lend a hand, a thought-provoking perspective, and also firm but compassionate guidance that only a life-long true friend would offer.
Fond of quotes, Dr. Sutjahjo had once penned a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote to his daughter, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. He was always a man who practiced what he preached. A memorial service will be held for Dr. Sutjahjo on July 1st, 2018 at 2:00 PM, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church located at 205 2nd Avenue, Seattle WA 98109.
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