Dr. Nai-Siang Jiang, 90, of Rochester, Minnesota died Friday November 12, 2021 peacefully in his sleep at Charter House, his home of 2 years. He lived the previous 44 years on his beloved Ridge Court property in Rochester.

Nai- Siang was born on the first day of Spring 1931 in Nanjing, China to YunZhi and SunDe Jiang, the 6th of 7 children. Shortly before the Communist takeover of China in 1949, Nai escaped to Taiwan, where he began to study Chemistry at National Taiwan University, while working nights at the Nationalist Air Force Telecommunications Headquarters. In Taiwan he met the love his life and future wife Helen (Hai-lan) Chen. She wanted to go to the United States to graduate school and encouraged Nai to apply for a scholarship in the US also. Overcoming hardship, Nai emigrated to the United States in 1957 , and went on to earn a doctorate in biochemistry at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.  He and Helen married in 1959.

In 1966 Nai-Siang moved north to Rochester, Minnesota with Helen and their two young children to begin a wonderful career at the Mayo Clinic, where he became Director of the Endocrine Laboratory and Head of Section of Clinical Chemistry. He enjoyed his work and colleagues at Mayo and brought his best to the advancement of the science of medicine and to the mission and culture of the Mayo clinic during a time of great changes in medicine and at Mayo. One colleague described Dr. Jiang as "a man of vision and intellect with his skills focused on practical application."   Dr. Jiang preferred another colleague's comment "Nai is a perfect gentleman in all respects".  As the first Asian staff consultant at Mayo, Dr. Jiang was so pleased to encourage and mentor new Chinese scientists joining the staff at Mayo.

Nai-Siang loved the natural world. He enjoyed many happy days watching the change of seasons tending to the woods, birds and flower garden at home on Ridge Court/ He loved fishing , canoeing and swimming at his lake cabin near Hayward,  Wis. He was an avid arborist, bird watcher, goldfish breeder, orchid/cactus and bonsai grower, and woodworker. He enjoyed studying history and wrote two books. One is a family history, and the other is "Stories told by Chinese pictogram" that came out of his study of ancient Chinese oracle bone inscriptions.

Dr. Nai-Siang Jiang was a devoted and loving husband and father and grandfather who will be greatly missed by his wife, Mrs. Helen Jiang of Rochester, MN, son David Jiang of Circle Pines, MN,  Grace Jiang Goggin ( husband  Matthew ) of Arden Hills, MN and grandsons Patrick Goggin of Minneapolis, MN, Benjamin Goggin of Brooklyn, NY, and Peter Goggin of Minneapolis, MN.

He is preceded in death by 2 brothers and 4 sisters, all in China.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 11AM in River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with Rev. Rachel Hanson officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorials to Family Promise Rochester NorthStar House