Dr. Liang-Che Tao of Camano Island passed peacefully surrounded by family on Aug. 15, 2023. He was 92.

Born in 1931 in Shanghai, he was the 5th of nine children with seven brothers and one sister. He came to North America in 1964 and made Camano Island his home in 2004.

A beloved husband, father and grandfather, Liang leaves behind his wife Pauline, his children Lorraine, Sharon, Eric and Kevin, and his granddaughters Emerson and Marlowe.

Dr. Tao graduated from Peking University in 1954. He started practicing medicine in 1955 in China and later moved to Canada where he specialized in Cytopathology at Toronto General Hospital. There he was a pioneer of Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy, a procedure that was the first non-invasive way to diagnose cancer in the 1970's. He specialized in deep seated organs and was renowned for his ability to accurately diagnose with very limited material, earning the nickname "two-cell Tao". In 1990, after authoring leading textbooks to guide other doctors on the procedure, Dr. Tao became Professor of Cytopathology at Indiana University where he remained Professor Emeritus until his death.

Dr. Tao's life was dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier lives and was proud to have served others through his books, the medical procedure he pioneered and the medical devices he invented. He held patents for the Tao Aspirator and the Tao Brush, devices that have helped doctors save patients' lives around the world. In 2013, he wrote 'A Whole Body Approach to Slowing Down Ageing' that was published in both English and Chinese.

While Liang's true lifelong passion was medicine, he was also a passionate fisherman, antique collector and horticulturist of fruit trees and orchids. He will be very missed.

An intimate ceremony with close family members present was held at his home on August 17th, 2023. Anyone with memories, thoughts or pictures they'd like to share are encouraged to sign and upload to the online guestbook.