The field of Chinese history is twice saddened this month; another great has gone from us. K.C. Liu, distinguished professor of Qing history, passed away at his home in Davis, CA yesterday. I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Liu and his wife several times. When I first started here, I would often be out jogging and see the professor and his wife taking their walks together. When we graduate students would meet him, whether in the hallways of the department or at the annual K.C. Liu lecture and dinner, he was always a wonderful listener and a source of inspiration for all of us. I suppose lay people might not understand, but for a history geek like me, talking Chinese history with K.C. was like a 3rd stringer on the high school team getting to play a casual game of catch with Tom Brady. I consider it a great honor to have met and discussed history with such a giant in the field. He will be greatly missed by all of us here.
One of K.C.’s former students, Richard Smith, wrote this moving remembrance for H-Asia. I write to report with great sadness the passing of my good friend