Dr. Ying-Tsong (Y.T.) Loh | October 6, 1939 - March 11, 2024

Dr. Ying-Tsong (Y.T.) Loh, a trailblazing technologist and devoted family man, passed away peacefully at his home in Saratoga, CA on March 11, 2024, at the age of 84 surrounded by his loving family.

One of eight children, Y.T. was born on October 6, 1939, in Hsinchu, Taiwan to Kim-hai Loh and Chao-mei Chen. As a child prodigy, he represented the hopes and dreams through education for a better life for his family.  Y.T. first attended National Cheng-Kung University (Tainan, Taiwan) for his Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, and then went on to National Chiao-Tung University (Hsinchu, Taiwan) to earn his Master's in Electrical Engineering. His academic pursuits took him across the Pacific Ocean to the University of Ottawa to earn a secondary Master's and ultimately to the United States in 1968 to earn his Ph.D. in Physics at Washington University in Saint Louis. Soon after, his remarkable engineering career in technology began with Fairchild Semiconductor, relocating his family to Silicon Valley in 1978. Throughout the late 70s, 80s, and 90s, he held influential engineering leadership positions and established multiple patents at early founding semiconductor powerhouses Amdahl, Trilogy, and Saratoga Semiconductor, which he co-founded. Once his children were in college, Y.T. returned to his native home in 1991 to be with his mother and siblings and contributed to the development of the semiconductor industry in Taiwan at global semiconductor leaders UMC and TSMC. An avid learner and knowledge seeker, he continued to share his expertise through consulting well into his 70s, transcending from semiconductor to nanotechnology/renewable energy and telecommunications.

Y.T. is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Rhin-Siong Loh, Rhin-Fui Loh, and Rhin-Kied Loh, and sisters Tai-Moi Loh, Tsoi-Moi Chee, and Ngiug-Zin Chee. Y.T. is survived by and will forever be remembered as a wonderful supportive father to his son Frederick Loh (Su) and his daughter Yolanda Berry (Rob); loving and affectionate grandfather to Caitlin, Morgan, Hana, and Sara; and devoted longtime partner and love, Suzuko Sieh, who stood by his side through life's journey. He is also survived by his brother Ying-C Loh and his wife Sue-May (Canton, OH) and his many nieces, nephews, and colleagues.

Y.T.'s number one priority was always his family - immediate and extended. His family meant more to him than anything else in the world, something he proudly and often mentioned. He cherished his two children - providing advice and guidance, checking in with them, and championing them in every way. Y.T. remained deeply connected to his humble beginnings in Taiwan. He found solace and joy in gardening and nurturing the land. He loved spending time with his granddaughters - playing at the park, cooking Taiwanese dishes with Caitlin and Morgan, teaching Sara and Hana math, admiring their beautiful artwork and penmanship, and imparting his wisdom and invaluable life lessons.  His granddaughters were his pride and joy and filled his heart with happiness. He had long lasting friendships, many of which lasted over 50 years. He was also an avid learner - reading both English and Chinese newspapers from cover to cover and voraciously digesting research papers and manuals across various technologies. He was known for his incredible generosity, kindness, humility, intelligence, logic & truth, sharp wit (and at times temper), and his resilience.

In lieu of flowers and in honor of YT's dedication to engineering and technology, his commitment to empowering future generations, and love for his granddaughters, please consider donating to Girls in Tech (https://girlsintech.org/donate/), an organization dedicated to eliminating the gender gap in technology.

A celebration of Y.T's life will be held on Friday, April 19, from 10:00AM-11:30AM, at Alameda Family Funeral located at 12341 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road in Saratoga, California. This will be a time to commemorate Y.T.'s remarkable life, share cherished memories, and honor his enduring legacy.

Y.T. Loh's impact on the world and his family will be felt for generations to come, both through his groundbreaking work in engineering and his profound influence on those he loved. We thank him for the many, many blessings he gave to his family and the love that he surrounded us with every day. He will be dearly missed but forever remembered with love and admiration.