Bernard (Bernie) Ching-Huey Sun

Bernard (Bernie) Ching-Huey Sun, 88, of Austin, Texas, passed away on December 31, 2025 due to complications from pneumonia.

Bernard was born on August 23, 1937 to Kwang-Yu Sun and Ta-Chen Sun, nee Chiang, in Nanking, China. Bernard spent his early childhood in Nanking except for three years during World War II when his family fled to Chungking. In 1948, Bernard and his family relocated to Taipei, Taiwan. After graduating from high school, Bernard began studies at National Taiwan University(NTU) in Taipei where he received a B.S. in Forestry in 1960. Following graduation, he served in the army for sixteen months and then joined the staff of the National Taiwan Experimental Forest. In 1963, Bernard became a teaching assistant in the Forestry Department at NTU before traveling to Vancouver, Canada later that year to begin graduate studies at the University of British Columbia(UBC).

In late 1964, Bernard married Esther Shang-Sheng Wang, whom he had known as a youth in Nanking and in Taiwan. In 1967, Bernie and Esther had their first child, a daughter, Vivian. After receiving his Ph.D. from the UBC in 1970, Bernie, Esther, and Vivian moved to Houghton, Michigan where Bernie joined the faculty of the Department of Forestry at Michigan Technological University. In 1973, Bernie and Esther bought their first house, a fixer-upper, and had their 2nd child, another daughter, Grace. In 1979, the family moved to a new house they had built on 20 acres just outside the city of Houghton. Bernie and Esther lived here for the next 40 years until they relocated to Texas in 2019. In addition to their two daughters, Bernie and Esther were also blessed with four grandchildren Anna, Emma, Joseph, and Matthew whom they welcomed into the world during the 2000’s and 2010’s. Bernie enjoyed teaching them various skills from arithmetic to driving and enjoyed hearing about their progress and accomplishments in school and in their extracurricular activities.

At Michigan Tech, Bernie taught courses on wood technology and utilization and was instrumental in developing the curriculum for the Forestry Department’s Wood and Fiber Utilization program. His research into the chemical pulping of wood led to co-invention of the new “MichTec” process for pulping which garnered significant attention from the pulp and paper industry and creation of the “Sun Research Mat Former”. Bernard was also issued patents for his inventions. He was an active member of the Forest Products Research Society (FPRS) and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and presented many papers and posters at conferences through the years. Bernie retired from Michigan Tech in 1997 but remained active as an industry consultant for several years after.

Bernie’s hobbies included fishing, gardening, and woodworking. He was well-known in the Copper Country for supplying local grocers with “super sweet” corn and other fresh vegetables during the summer months and regularly spent his free time in the winter in his basement workshop crafting fine furniture. Bernie also spent significant time on do-it-yourself home-repairs and improvements including remodeling his first home, the building of his second, and volunteering with the Copper Country Kiwanis to build wheelchair ramps for those in need.

Bernard is survived by his wife, Esther; children Vivian (Bill) Wied and Grace (Ken) Sung; four grandchildren Anna, Emma, William, and Matthew; and siblings Benedice Sun, Richard Sun, and Judy Lee. Bernard is pre-deceased by his parents and brother Benedict Sun.

Photos of Bernard, his family, and work can be found at: https://sites.google.com/view/bernard-ching-huey-sun

A graveside memorial service will be held at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery in Austin and live-streamed later this year. Date, time, and additional info will be shared as it becomes available.