Joseph (Joe) Shih Hao Tang, age 98, of Flushing, Queens passed away Friday, February 16, 2024 in Hackettstown, NJ.  Joseph was born on June 7, 1925 in a small farming village near Baoding, China. He is the son of the late Paul and Anna (Fung) Tang. In addition to his parents, Joseph is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Lai Yin (Lee) Tang, his two brothers, and three sisters who resided in China.

Joe was raised with a strong sense of religious faith and at an early age was forced to flee from China to escape oppression and war. He later attended seminary and became a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, living and teaching in the Philippines and Taiwan before finally settling in the United States. It was here in the U.S. where he found a new calling and after leaving the Order he married and started his family.

For 28 years, Joe was employed by the City of New York, where he worked primarily as a staff psychologist at Gouverneur Hospital, NY and as an evaluator for the N.Y.C. Board of Education. In addition, he has been published in both the areas of theology and psychology throughout his careers.

He was known for his healthy lifestyle and his love of physical fitness and was often found practicing falun gong and tai chi in the pursuit of health.

He is survived by his son Alpha Tang, wife Sarah, and their two children, Kazimir and Izaak Tang.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 am on Friday, February 23, 2024 at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, 2 East Springtown Rd, Long Valley, NJ with Rev. Marchin Michalowski officiating.  Burial of cremains will be in Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, 2030 Wellwood Ave, Farmingdale, NY on Friday, March 8, 2024 at 1:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/give/memorials-and-dedications.html?sc_icid=wtg-mm-memorial-giving) in memory of Joseph Tang.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Cochran Funeral Home, 905 High Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840.  Online condolences may be left at www.cochranfuneral.com.