Nora Sun
Nora Sun (August 6, 1937 – January 29, 2011) was a Chinese-American diplomat, businesswoman, illegitimate daughter of Sun Fo with his mistress Rosa Lam/Lan Yi, and illegitimate granddaughter of Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen. She was the founder of the Hong Kong-based Nora Sun Associates and a longtime resident of Shanghai, San Francisco, and Hong Kong.[2] Chinese-American entrepreneur Yue-Sai Kan called Sun a "Sino-US trade matchmaker".[3]
Nora Sun (Sun Sui-fen) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Eleanora Caroline Sun[1] August 6, 1937 Shanghai, Republic of China | ||||||
| Died | January 29, 2011 (aged 73) Taipei, Republic of China | ||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||
| Alma mater | University of Arizona | ||||||
| Spouse | Capt. C.W. "Connie" Seigrist (孫康威) (divorced) | ||||||
| Children | Steven Sun Seigrist (孫忠仁) Jeffrey Lloyd Seigrist (孫忠傑) Alan Daniel Seigrist (孫忠偉) | ||||||
| Parent(s) | Sun Fo and Rosa Lam | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 孫穗芬 | ||||||
| |||||||
Timeline
- 1937: Born in Shanghai, China to Sun Fo and Shanghai property developer and socialite Rosa Lam (Lan Ni in Mandarin).
- 1946: Kidnapped in Shanghai[4] After her mother Lan Ni paid the kidnappers' ransom, she and her mother fled to Hong Kong when Mao's troops seized the family's villa.[5]
- 1955: After graduating from High School, she became the youngest flight attendant to work for Taiwan based Civil Air Transport airline.
- 1957: Married American pilot and World War II Veteran in Taiwan. She followed her husband to Thailand, Japan, and Jordan.
- 1978: Received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Arizona.[6] She later completed graduate studies at Babson College.
- 1986: Served as the commercial consul at the United States Consulate General in Guangzhou, China.[7]
- 1989: Served as the commercial consul at the United States Consulate General in Shanghai, China.
- 1992: Served as the commercial counselor at the U.S. Embassy, Paris.
- 1994: Resigned from the State Department and founded Nora Sun Associates Ltd.
- 2010: Visited Taipei, Taiwan in order to attend the Taipei International Flora Exposition. Sun was severely injured in a car accident on her way to Taoyuan International Airport on January 1, 2011.[8] She died as a result of the injuries on January 29.[9]
Death
On 1 January 2011, Sun was involved in a traffic collision which caused her serious injury. She was traveling at Jianguo Overpass on the way to Taoyuan International Airport when the car she was riding was hit by another car coming from the opposite side of the highway. The accident injured her chest and abdomen. She was then treated at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital but died on 29 January 2011.[10]
Book
- 沈飞德; Shen, Feide (2002). 民国第一家: 孙中山的亲属与后裔 [The first republican house: Sun Yat-sen's relatives and descendants]. Shanghai: 上海人民出版社. ISBN 978-7208040489.
See also
References
- Areddy, James T. (January 31, 2011). "Champion of Chinese Modernity Dies". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- "Profile: Nora Sun". BBC News. October 15, 2010.
- [图文] 孙中山先生的婚姻与后代 [Photo: Sun Yat-sen's marriage and offspring]. Netease (in Chinese). October 23, 2009. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- Video on YouTube
- Follath, Erich (June 29, 2007). "Ten Years After the Return to China: Hong Kong Reinvents Itself, Yet Again". Spiegel Online International. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- Halpern, Diane F.; Cheung, Fanny M. (2009). Women at the Top: Powerful Leaders Tell Us How to Combine Work and Family. Wiley. p. 262. ISBN 978-1444305227. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- Shen, Feide (September 30, 2002). "In The Shadow of Greatness". China Through a Lens. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- "Granddaughter of Sun Yat-sen seriously hurt in crash". Taipei Times. January 2, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- "Granddaughter of Sun Yat-sen dies after car accident". Taipei Times. January 30, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- "Granddaughter of Sun Yat-sen dies after car accident - Taipei Times". January 30, 2011.