1. Excellence in research or teaching
2. Selfless assistance to others
3. Inner strength in the face of adversity

We were at my family reunion in Port Townsend, WA and Linda had come out with my brother, Warren. I love basketball and wanted to go shoot some hoops. Linda immediately said that she wanted to go too and proceeded to start talking trash to me. She said that she had played at MIT, a team second only to the Celtics in Boston.

The trash talking continued so we decided to play a game of horse. Up to that point, I hadn't taken a shot from beyond 10 feet, so Linda was feeling very confident. When I got a letter, she started whooping it up and the trash talk reached Gary Payton levels. Enough was enough. On my next turn, I started to shoot 3s. 3 shots and 3 letters later, Linda accused me of sandbagging. So I agreed to not shoot anymore 3s. She got another letter on a left handed layup and said I should do a real shot. So I suggested a free throw. She said no problem. So I told her to look at me, shut my eyes, and swished a free throw. After Linda shot an air ball, it got real quiet. I cupped my hand to my ear, but couldn't hear anything except the wind. 

What I loved about Linda is that she tried her best at everything and would never concede or give up. I wish I had that kind of determination. I really miss Linda. She was a very special person and the world is a better place for having her in it. 

Poojitha Balakrishnan, co-advised by Linda, graduated with a PhD in Epidemiology (genetic epidemiology track) on May 21, 2015 from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her thesis was entitled, "Determinants of Blood Pressure Trajectories in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study." Poojitha is now completing her post-doctoral training with Dr. Ana Navas-Acien in the Department of Environmental Health Science at Johns Hopkins.

Rings are great symbols with their symmetry, completeness, and enduring promise. Here is the story of Linda's engagement ring.

We wanted a modern looking ring and learned about tension rings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tension_ring). The tension refers to how the diamond is held in place, not anything about the relatioship between the bride and groom. We found a nearby jewelry shop with excellent Yelp ratings (Berman's Jewelers http://www.bermansjewelers.com/) where Carol helped guide us through the process.

Instead of a tension ring, Carol suggested a similar concept.  Linda and I worked together on the design,  I commented that this design was safer than conventional engagement rings. With the diamond flush with the surface of the ring, it wouldn't gouge flesh out of my cheek when Linda backhanded me....
 

After Linda's death, I brought the ring back to Berman's for a final cleaning. Carol was there and helped me with this last task. She handed me the case with rings inside. I opened them up and saw a brilliance of shine from the diamond and the ring that illuminated memories of our lives together. It was symmetry, completeness, and enduring promise. I was silent, overcome with a flood of thoughts.. I mumbled a heartfelt thanks and rushed out.

Man Li, PhD, graduated from The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health on May 21, 2015. With a background in biostatistics, she came to Hopkins to work with Linda as an analyst. Her time with Linda sparked an interested in genetic epidemiology, and she applied to and was accepted into the PhD progam in Epidemiology at Hopkins. Her thesis title was, “Understanding the genetic architecture of kidney function through analyses of genome-wide arrays.” During her PhD training, she accomplished a tremendous amount of work on the genetics of kidney function, including evaluating rare variants, trans-ethnic approaches, copy number variants, and exome data. She has distinguished herself as a true expert in the area and is now completing a joint post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins and the University of Utah.

Johns Hopkins University held a tribute in Linda's honor on 15 October.  This warm and first-class event featured several speakers with different perspectives of her life:

Welcome
Michael J. Klag
Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

David Kao

Reflections on Scholarship and Academic Legacy
Welch Center & Non-Genetic - Josef Coresh
Genetic Epidemiology & Teaching - M. Daniele Fallin
Genetic Consortia - Caroline Fox

Collaborations
Training Years - Brad Astor
Mentee - Man Li
Colleague - Rulan Parekh

Closing Remarks
Warren Goda
David Celentano
Michael J. Klag 

Linda had this poem on her office wall. I think it was written by students when she received Bloomberg School of Public Health's 2006 Advising, Mentoring, and Teaching Award (AMTRA).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linda, who is known as Wen Hong,
Has genetic epi as her theme song,
Nonthing makes her tick,
More than Watson and Crick,
With her talent, millions or lives she'll prolong.

All of us marvel right now,
At the rapid ascent of Dr. Kao,
She'll give you a tip,
On your candidate SNP,
She's awesome, terrific and WOW!
 

Johns Hopkins University will honor Linda on Wednesday 15 October with an tribute event that starts at 4pm eastern.  It will be streamed live at
http://www.jhsph.edu/departments/epidemiology/news/linda-kao-tribute.html.

The event is open to the public.

In the weeks since Linda's passing, I've experienced the breadth of emotions from deep sorrow to a quiet contentment from realizing the fortune of sharing my life with her.  As I face challenges, I remind myself of what Linda believed in and how she conducted herself - things that can provide guidance in what I should do.

Linda would want us to enjoy life; to cherish our friends, family, and loved ones; to achieve our potential for greatness; to help one another; and make this a better place.  This is what she would want.

I have this perhaps irrational belief that I must think of Linda every day, to have a conversation with her.  If I don't, her memory, her relevance, her lingering presence becomes a little less substantial.

One way to perpetuate Linda's memory is through this website.  Posting stories and photos helps continue and propagate her life story.

Another way is through a memorial fund that we are establishing at Johns Hopkins University.  Our plan is to enable others to continue their research and teaching in epidemiology, where Linda's legacy will live on through her contributions to the field and through this memorial fund.  Contributions can be made online at http://www.jhsph.edu/giving/make-a-gift.

In 2008, I along with Yvette Oquendo and Linda ran the Marine Corps Marathon.  We trained together during a very long hot summer and very warm fall.    We had done many races and training runs together, Baltimore Half Marathon, Army Ten Miler and the Ragnar Relay.  Once we ran four miles to a 5k did the 5K and then ran the four miles back.  It was insanely fun and exciting.     During our runs we talked about all kinds of things, mostly family, work, and well anything!  Once I brought up that I was going to a funeral for one my uncles in Florida.  I shared that how every time we had a funeral for one of my uncles a surprise cousin showed up that no one ever knew - sometimes not even their wives.  I shared that it was something that happens at funerals of African Americans all of the time.  Yvette spoke up first and said - not just African Americans - Puerto Ricans too and then Linda said - Chinese too - although we don't talk about it!  

We laughed off our sore knees  and reflected together that hot sultry morning about how families are the same all over the world! 

Thanks Linda - for your humanity - sense of humor and gentle spirit!

You were an angel on earth.... 

Linda and I ate many many meals together while in grad school at Johns Hopkins. We'd go through phases of eating out a lot then feel the need for a "cleanse." Sometimes, we'd go to her place and cook plain congee with traditional Taiwanese side dishes, like omelette, pickles, stir fried veggies, etc. Other times, we'd take turns cooking.

During one of these phases, Linda said she'd bring lunch for me. So for several days running, she brought a mixed Mexican rice dish with red beans, corn, green bell peppers, but no meat. It was really delicious and I appreciated the effort (hers not mine).

I can't remember when I figured out the provenance of this lovely Mexican rice lunch but one day, I was wandering around in the freezer section of Costco and saw some Weight Watchers meals. Lo and behold, the Mexican rice was a Weight Watchers meal!!!!!!

Guess Linda thought it was time for us to watch our weight more carefully and didn't think I'd be on board. Next trip to the U.S., I'm going to enjoy that Weight Watchers Mexican rice dish in honor of Linda.

Linda and I were shopping for cars.  I was describing the features that I wanted: reliable, high-quality, stylish, but not ostentatious, comfortable, etc.  Linda gets this grin on her face and proudly says

"Oh, you're looking for a car just like me!"

"Hmm.  Well maybe I'd like to test drive a few cars and also see about trade-in value", I replied.  Linda squawked in surprise and we both burst into laughter.

I remember meeting Linda at Wilde Lake Middle School.  I think that I was introduced to her through Naomi and Karen.  She had just moved to Columbia, Maryland from Taipei, Taiwan.  We became fast friends.  We shared common interests - baking, arts & crafts, shopping, Tuxedo Sam and eating.  I remember that we started cross stitching with a few of our friends.  We would hangout in the library with the other nerds during recess playing computer games like Lemonade Stand and Karateka.  Like other teenagers at the time, we would meet up with other friends at the movies, at the mall, or at the ice skating rink.  On the weekends, we’d spend time together talking, baking, studying or crafting.  I have fond memories of sleepovers at her house on Ten Mills Road.  

We met up one summer in Taipei.  I was visiting my relatives in Taipei and Linda happened to be visiting her family at the same time.  We planned a sleepover at her family’s house.  I have a funny memory of that night.  It was the first time that my Americanized palate had tried Pig’s Blood Rice Cake.  Linda encouraged the skeptical me to try it knowing that I was a picky eater at the time.  I reluctantly took a bite and finished the slice that was offered to me.  Annie and Linda were giggling after they told me what I had just eaten.  She had a playful sense of humor that I always enjoyed.  She always knew how to make you laugh and smile.

I moved away from Columbia after my freshman year at Wilde Lake High, but Linda and I kept in touch.  We would meet up occasionally on the weekends for lunch.  She always knew the best places to eat.  During our senior year in high school, we found out that we would both be attending MIT.

At MIT, during Orientation & Rush - we hung out and had a blast meeting new people, going out and enjoying our first month as college students.  After orientation, we lived in separate dorms, had different majors and had different social circles. We stayed in touch, but not as closely as we once did as teenagers.  
Every time, I would visit Linda at Next House - she would have a steady stream of visitors saying hello, asking for advice, or just wanting to hang out.  She was admired and trusted by so many people.

After graduating from MIT, we kept in touch and would see each other when we had the chance.  Linda was always there for her family.  I remember visiting Linda when Allison was just a baby.  She always spoke fondly of her niece.  The last time that I saw LInda in person was a long time ago - we met for dim sum in Silver Spring.  She was in the midst of getting her Associate Professorship at Johns Hopkins. She talked about her research and spending time with Allison.   Much later on Facebook - I was so happy to see her celebrating her wedding to Warren and enjoying life.

I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear about Linda’s passing.  She was an amazing person - caring, kind, humble, smart, and funny.  She was truly beautiful inside and out.  I feel fortunate, like others reading this memorial, that I had received the gift of her friendship during my life.  I will miss her laugh, her smile and her kindness. 

Linda and I went to MIT together and lived in the same dorm, but she was a year after me so we had different but overlapping sets of friends.  Even then, she was memorable for her smile and we were always friendly.  My second year into Hopkins, Hsien (re)introduced me to Linda. Hopkins (and Hsien) gave us another chance at friendship and I am forever grateful we both seized it the second time around.

These are a few things I remember about Linda.
1. Her smile. And I am so warmed to see so many who knew this smile.

2. Family first. Hsien and I spent many meals with her family and cousins at her aunt's restaurant and house. We felt like her family too, always invited, always welcome.  It was clear that she was the rock to her family. She became a rock for us too.

3. She enjoys good food. I especially cherish our times in grad school sneaking away for afternoon tea for deep, personal conversations about our professional development and life in general. She was always so wise, so grounded.  This was our oasis when I visited Baltimore after graduating. All I had to do was call her up to tell her I was coming into town to visit and tea would magically be arranged.

4. She is well-rounded. Golf, aerobics, running, hiking, traveling, wine tasting. I remember hiking with Linday and Hsien once, a miserable hike really if I recall correctly, and then hiking right to IHOP.  She was and always will be a good reminder that life is much too short and to be savored now, though probably not at IHOP.

5. Her dedication to her work and modesty. She is smart. So very smart. And modest. I remembered when she told me she got her first R01. No hoopla, no fanfare, just a smile.  I think I made enough noise to make up for her modest enthusiasm.

Sophia

I had mentioned in my chapter about how Linda became convinced that there was romantic promise after I prepared dinner for her.  Since writing that section, I found my menu notes for the meal.

It was June 12, 2010.  Here was the 5-course menu:

Chilled Mango and Cucumber Soup
(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chilled-Mango-and-Cucumber-Soup-106879)

Grilled Peaches with Grated Pecorino and Prosciutto

Salmon and Apple with Jalapeno Emulsion (http://www.panacheprivee.com/Food&Wine/on_the_line_by_eric_ripert.asp)

Grilled Lamb Chops with Herbes de Provence
Roasted Potatoes
Vegetables

Chocolate Souffle (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Souffles-107102)
Latte


There are no guarantees that this meal may convince a hesistant woman.  Your results may vary.

For Linda, fitness was a natural part of her life. For me? Not so much.

The woman often got up early to go to the local gym for a run on the treadmill before heading off to Hopkins, after school/work to the local park for a run, aerobics class, hiking, golfing, tennis,... You get the idea.

She tried her best to include me like a good friend should and never got fed-up with my pathetic attempts to "exercise". On a visit to San Diego, where we were attending a meeting, she wanted to take advantage of the weather by going for a jog. Even though I didn't have the proper attire, it didn't stop her from getting me to join her.

So while she ran forwards, then back towards me, then ran backwards while going forwards (get it?) so she could face me, I gingerly tried to "jog". Much like a newborn fawn learning to stand. Tippy toes, slightly faster than walking. Was it heel down first or toes down first? 

Within minutes, my heart was pounding between my ears and I was sure I would faint. And while her marathon instincts were probably urging her to ditch me, she took pity on me and we walked back to the hotel where a lovely Borghese Active Fango mud mask (our favorite - you must try it) awaited. 

On another occasion, Linda invited Sophia Wang and me to her aerobics class. And, as usual, she was so persuasive that we both eagerly joined in despite being complete n00bs. We followed Linda's lead, grabbed the aerobics step and found a position for ourselves in the class. Not in the front, but not in the back either. Near Linda who we thought might be able to guide us.

The music started up, the beat started beating, and the instructor started chirping. Left right left right up down up down side to side blah blah blah blah. WHAT?! Sophia and I simply could not keep up. We looked over to Linda and she had every step in place, every arm movement in sync.

Meanwhile, the other attendees started to heckle us. "This is not a beginners class. You shouldn't be here if you can't keep up. Move to the back, you're blocking our view and messing us up."

Linda just smiled at us and gestured for us to keep going. And with that, we did. Just like we always did whenever she smiled and told us we could do it. 

We celebrated our wedding anniversary at Range (http://www.voltrange.com/).  Not only did the restaurant deliver on spectacular food and service, but also met some special requests (roses and dessert).  Our table had the roses already there, which led to photos.  Each of us took pictures of the other at the same time.  It was another example of how similar we were.

Last August, my spouse, Melinda, and I were fortunate to share a round of golf with Linda and Warren. 

One day at work, I had asked Linda if she golfed.  After she said, "yes," I silently thought to myself, "of course you do" and "awesome, we can hit the links together." 

We arranged to play at the historic Mount Pleasant Baltimore municipal course one early Saturday morning.  She and Warren arrived at our house on time, and of course, I was still in my pajamas. They patiently waited while I got myself together (including wearing my new Welch Center golf shirt).  In the meantime, Warren developed allergy symptoms as a result of our 3 feline babies.

We drove out to Mt. Pleasant and proceeded to play the fastest 9 holes ever. Just as she did in all aspects of her life, Linda was quite efficient: She hit the ball; walked or rode over to it and hit again - regardless of other balls in play. We had a great time, and I will never forget it.  I had hoped it was not our last time to play golf.

We invited Linda and Warren to brunch afterwards, but as was usual for Linda, she had a busy social schedule and needed to move on to lunch with friends.  I am grateful for the time that we had.

Starting quite a few years ago, Linda and Allison would make beautiful gingerbread houses together at Christmas. My daughter, Bethany, is the same age as Allison, so we started making them, too. In the days leading up to Christmas, Linda and I would send pictures of our works in progress back and forth to each other. Bethany was always excited to see what they were up to and wanted to make our house as nice as theirs. Over time, the designs got more and more complex, finally reaching the point where Linda and Allison had constructed three houses and put in a swimming pool. Bethany understood when I told her we just couldn't compete with Miss Linda and Allison.

Linda put all of herself into everything she cared about - her family, her friends and her work. Part of what made her special was that it never seemed to come from a sense of duty or commitment, but from real joy and enthusiasm for whatever she was working on or whomever she was with. I will miss her greatly.

I met Linda in 1995 when I was a starting faculty member and she was fresh out of MIT.  It was clear she was a great person and time has flown since.  She worked with Fred Brancati to use ARIC to jumpstart the epidemiology of diabetes studies and as Fred used to say while she was a grad student -- Linda makes everything better.   And she did.
Love, Joe 

Linda said that based on venue availability, we had two possible dates for the wedding: October 21st or the 22nd.  During this time, there was the hype over the end of the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_end_times_prediction). I told Linda that I didn't want to celebrate our anniversary on the same day that the world ended.

We picked October 22, 2011 for our date.

And it was a beautiful day.

The first time that Linda got into my car she said, "You listen to angry boys' music, just like Warren" after hearing "Everything Zen" playing at quite a low volume.

Linda's mom is the source of several funny stories where her motherly instincts encounter the strong-will and independence of Linda.  Here are some excepts from emails with Linda:

She [Linda's Mom]  said, “This phenomenon is strange, but I think you are prettier now that you are going out with Warren.”  WHAT?!  Why do you get credit for how I look and what is the causal mechanism?

Here is my reply:
BTW, I think your Mom is very observant.  Maybe I should advertise myself as a beauty treatment.  But after thinking about it, I realize that my most fervent customers will be those most in need of help.  So the male fantasy has some sobering consequences.  Relax.  I've talked myself out of the idea. 

Here is another email excerpt:

When she was looking at the emerald earrings that you gave me, she said, very caringly, “Tell him not to spend so much money.”  I almost wanted to remind her that you were spending on me so that is not a waste!  I love these earrings!  Besides, I would never be able to “tell you” what to do.  Does she think I am bossy? 

Linda completed the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/26/2008.  During her training, she once listened to Coldplay's song, "Viva La Vida," for hours on repeat.

Dr. Kao's personal shoe and boots collection formed the core exhibits of the Columbia Shoe Museum. Amassed over a period of decades and innumerable sales, it has been praised as the largest and most comprehensive set in the local area, with some comparisons made with the collection formerly held by Imelda Marcos.
 

As part of continuing drive to incorporate innovative management practices and cutting-edge technologies in the care of her collection, Dr. Kao hired a full-time shoe museum curator and husband in 2011. The new curator supervised the relocation of the exhibits into a new state-of-the-art facility in Fairfax, VA. The new facility featured temperature and humidity-controlled environments specific to the demands of each shoe. Additionally, custom-designed shelving enabled multiple shoe orientations for optimal lighting and display. A computer-controlled inventory system operated with only minor issues.  Boots, sandals, slippers, and foot gloves were misclassified as "shoes", resulting in an exceedance of fire-marshal imposed regulations on the total number of shoes. This error, quickly corrected, resulted in remedial training for the curator.  The curator was also responsible for an improper label "Patent Leather Boots (Non-Dominatrix)", for which he was severly disciplined.

Due to severe overcapacity, the Columbia Shoe Museum is unable to handle any additional donations at this time.

Tours are available by appointment.

For our honeymoon, Linda and I went to Florence and Venice. One popular site is the Peggy Gugggenheim Collection in Venice. Dan Graham's Triangular Solid with Circular Inserts sits in a garden.  Getting in the right spot results in these unque photos, exploiting the reflections of the mirrors.

I found this photo on Linda's Mac, labelled as "My Favorite Hopkins Photo".  Starting from the left, it shows Drs. Michael Klag, Linda, Fred Brancati, and Joe Coresh.

In late November of 2012, Linda had walked into the PACE office one afternoon and stated that she had planned on going on a strict vegan diet for two weeks.  She explained that this sort of cleansing was good for the body (and soul) and that we would grow to enjoy it.  Linda was looking for some ‘willing volunteers’.  She wanted others to take this challenge on with her during one of the most tempting times of the year—the Holidays.  She found a couple of brave naive souls who may have been willing to take on this challenge during the holiday season.  Despite initial doubts and concerns, Linda sold the vegan idea to Maggie and myelf rather quickly and we were excited. 

In true Linda style, she began by sending out emails and schedules to plan this out.  She emphasized that breakfast and dinner will be on our own honor and lunches at work would be together—we would rotate turns and bring lunches to share.  For the first few days, we enjoyed our lunches together and had many memorable conversations and laughs.  As the days passed, we (including Linda) were experiencing strong cravings, however, we were determined to make it through the 2 weeks. 

As the first week came to a close, we finished lunch one day and there was an awkward silence in the room.  We all looked at one another and despite the fact that not a word was uttered, there was a silent agreement—we were done!  Linda wanted her eggs with sesame oil over rice, Maggie wanted her eggs in any style and I wanted my milk.  We all broke out in laughter and agreed that the one week we had done was sufficient.  Our bodies and souls were cleansed (or as clean as they were going to be for now) and we were going back to our carnivorous ways (simply vegetarian for me).    

Linda had cultivated not only a culture of excellence in research within PACE, but also one of true friendship and caring.  This and many other similar experiences brought the PACE family together.  Whether it was a personal tragedy that one of us suffered or a special celebration worthy of a Lebanese Taverna lunch, Linda was the first to begin the planning.  Linda was a true friend, always selfless, always generous, always caring and always loving.  The PACE family will truly miss her presence, her love, her guidance, and most importanlty, the sound of her footsteps followed by her unforgettable smile.

In 2009, early in my first year on faculty at Hopkins, I had a meeting for a project which involved Linda.  At that point, I was still intimidated by her (her intelligence) although there was no real need for this. 

During the meeting, Biscuit emerged from Linda's bag and pooped on the floor of the Whelton Room in the Welch Center.  Linda simply stood up, got a paper towel, picked up the poop, and the meeting went on.  I did not know what to say but knew that we would be getting along just fine.

On the occasion of a recent wedding, I was faced with the last-minute decision of what to wear.  Normally, I would never consider wearing a dress.  However, I have a collection from a year of weddings for friends from a few years ago.  For ease, I thought that I should dip into the collection given that I only had a few hours to decide.  My partner, Melinda, had already asked me to coordinate with her, and she was planning to wear white pants.

Immediately, I knew this was a job for Linda.  I texted her pictures of the possible dresses and told her about Melinda's options.  She quickly selected the match shown in the picture.  I imagine that she was particularly excited because I had not worn a dress since I had known her.

I felt confident going into the night, and after we posted the picture to Facebook, we immediately began receiving congratulations on our wedding - of course, it was not our wedding.

One of the Facebook comments also noted that we had possibly made a faux pas by wearing white to someone else's wedding.  To that, Melinda said, "No way. Linda would never allow us to make a faux pas." 

We had a wonderful time and received compliments all night (06/07/14, just one week before her death).  Linda helped that night to happen, and we are fortunate to have that moment captured with a picture. 

In April 2011, Linda and I were engaged and eagerly looking forward to our wedding later that year in October.  We were spending lots of time together, driving back and forth between Columbia, MD and Reston, VA.  An opportunity had arisen in my work, but it was a 2-year assignment in Los Angeles.  If I accepted, then we would be living on opposite coasts for 2 years.  We discussed this and concluded that I should pursue this opportunity.  Two years seemed like a short period.  We knew that after that we would be living together for a long time.  I was selected for the position and we went to LA to find a place to live.

While in LA, we made arrangements to have dinner with Bob and Helen and Eric and Janine.  The place was Hatfield's (http://hatfieldsrestaurant.com/), which was unknown to all of us.  It proved to be a spectacular meal.  During the evening, Eric offered to shoot a photo of us.  This simple unstaged picture captures feelings of love and an optimism for a future together.

Linda and I enjoyed dining at great restaurants.  For our wedding, we received a gift certificate to the Willows Inn on Lummi Island in Washington state (www.willows-inn.com).  Their motto is "Fished, Foraged, Farmed; Only Here, Only Now."

For our first anniversary, we travelled to Lummi Island.  After arriving at the Willows Inn, we ventured out for a walk, holding hands as we usually do.  A path led us down to the calm waters lapping a pebble strewn beach, illuminated by the gentle rays of a warm sunset.  We reflected on the natural beauty and our fortune for being together.  As we turned around to return to the inn, we noticed our long shadows and exclaimed at the same time.  Linda captured this photo, whose simplicity captures a more complex story.