Taiwanese American nuclear scientist dies after Los Angeles family visit
Dr. Shang-Chih Chou returned to Los Angeles to rest with family while ill with pneumonia, then flew back to New Mexico for lab work. He was later found dead in his apartment after missing work.
Dr. Shang-Chih Chou, a Taiwan born nuclear scientist in his 70s, returned to Los Angeles to rest with family after developing pneumonia symptoms. After six days and some improvement, he flew back to New Mexico for work and called his wife after landing; coworkers later found him dead in his apartment when he did not arrive at the lab.
Chou studied nuclear engineering at National Tsing Hua University, earned a master's at Georgia Tech and a doctorate at UCLA, then spent nearly 30 years at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories. His Los Angeles relatives are handling estate issues because he lived in New Mexico and had no will, and they are seeking legal help familiar with New Mexico probate matters.