A memorial service for Dr. Sidney Chang, Fresno State history professor emeritus, will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 (visitation 1 to 4 p.m.) at Stephen’s & Bean Funeral Chapel. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Fresno Memorial Gardens. Dr. Chang, whose career at Fresno State spanned nearly five decades, died Oct. 3 after a brief illness. He was 82 years old. He joined the history faculty in 1966 and was conferred professor emeritus in 2000. He continued to teach and publish his academic work until 2014 when Parkinson’s disease made it difficult for him to get around, said Dr. Michelle DenBeste, interim dean of the College of Social Sciences. Dr. Chang established a fund for annual awards honoring history students for the best paper in Chinese studies. “He was a lovely person who was extremely supportive of his colleagues and students,” DenBeste said. “Through his annual awards, he encouraged them to become better writers and scholars.” She said donations in honor of his years of scholarship and dedication to students may be made to the Fresno State Foundation and sent to California State University, Fresno, College of Social Sciences, 5340 N. Campus Drive M/S SS91, Fresno, CA 93740, Attn: Diane Chrisman, with a note that the donation is designated in remembrance of Dr. Chang.
