In Loving Memory of Dr. Zuxun Zhang

December 24, 1931 – August 6, 2026

Dr. Zuxun Zhang passed away at the age of 94 in Orange County, California, on August 6, 2026. He was born on December 24, 1931, in Shanghai, China.

Zuxun attended Aurora University School of Medicine (now Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine), graduating in 1953. He then moved to Nanjing, where he practiced at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University until his retirement. In 2007, he relocated to Orange County, California, to be closer to his son. Over the course of his career, he authored more than thirty publications in Chinese, English, and French, and was the lead author of Complications of Abdominal Surgeries and Their Management.

A skilled surgeon and devoted professor, Zuxun brought deep passion to his work. He took on complex cases that others were unwilling to attempt, and many of his patients became lifelong friends.

Zuxun was a simple, straightforward man who never bent to pressure or authority, yet gave freely and wholeheartedly of himself to his patients, students, friends, and colleagues. He remained close with many of them even decades into retirement, a connection for which he was always grateful.

He traveled to Africa on several occasions, including a two-year medical missionary trip to Nigeria, an experience he cherished and often spoke of with pride. In his free time, he enjoyed swimming, tennis, classical music, opera, and seafood.

His granddaughter remembers him as Yeye, who woke up early every day to swim laps at the community pool, usually the oldest one there. He read the newspaper every morning and loved to talk about medicine. When she started medical school, he would ask about her cases, how her exams went, and what she was learning. She hopes to carry his discipline and passion forward, and to live up to the example he set for her.

Dr. Zhang is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Lixia, and his son, Zhong.