by Hla Min

Updated : May 2026

Memories of Saya Allen

• He was the Leader of SF Bay Area Group.

• When the Group founded RIT Alumni International, he served as President.

• He was a Core Organizer of SPZP-2000. His article “Brother, can you afford $500 and more?” saved the organizers from U Nyo Win’s Act.
• He took me to a BAPS picnic. He demonstrated “Burmese Goodbye” by taking an hour to greet alumni on the way back to his car.
• To avoid monotony, he takes a different route going out and coming back. He did not mind missing an exit; he would simply make a turn at the next one.
• He, Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt, U Ko Ko Aye (GBNF), Ko Thein Naing (Patrick) and me would meet monthly to have Coffee / Tea & Dosa တိုရှည် and chat.
• Sometimes, Dr. San Lin would come down from Santa Rosa to see Saya U Soe Khaw (GBNF). Saya Allen & I would join them for lunch gathering, which extended until dinner.
• Saya is interested in Comparative Religion & Culture. Saya U Aung’s anecdote mentioned Saya Allen’s visit to a mosque and Burmese Buddhist Temple in Singapore.
• He supervised the C73 Final Year project, where his two students used the UCC computer.
• Saya survived two Strokes, but succumbed to the one at the MEHS Reunion in Las Vegas. He joined his spouse Daw Mu Mu Kin (MEHS57) to the Reunion.
• Saya did not live long enough to see his four grandsons.
• May Saya rest in peace.

Brief Bio

• Born in Mandalay, attended St. Joseph English Convent and St. Peter’s Boys’ School in Mandalay and the Methodist High School in Rangoon.
• Graduated B Sc (Engg) in Civil Engineering in 1958 from Rangoon University and joined the Faculty of Engineering as Assistant Lecturer in the same year at the invitation of Prof T Ba Hli, then Dean of Engineering.

• Awarded the Burmese Government State Scholarship for study in the United States from 1960 to 1963, and the US Government Fulbright Travel Grant.
• Received the degree of Master of Engineering from Harvard University in 1963, specializing in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering.

• Returned to Burma and joined the newly formed Rangoon Institute of Technology in Gyogon.
• Served as Lecturer in Civil Engineering from 1964 to 1975, except from 1966 to 1968 which was spent on advanced study in Hydraulics Engineering in the Netherlands at Delft Technical University under UNESCO assistance program for Burma.
• Immigrated to USA in 1975. Currently working at the California Department of Transportation as Project Engineer.
• Married to Mu Mu Kin in 1971 and have two surviving children, Myo Lynn and Thuzar Kin. Mu Mu works at TIBCO Software Inc in Palo Alto to supplement the family income.

Work Experience:

• Soils Engineer: Mueser Rutledge Wentworth and Johnston, New York, NY, 1975-1978.
• Washington DC Metro Subway Project. Civil Engineer: International Engineering Company, Inc, San Francisco, CA, 1978-1983.
• USAID Bangladesh Fertilizer Warehouses Construction Project.
• Senior Staff Engineer: Morrison Knudsen Corporation, San Francisco, CA, 1984-1996.
• DOE Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project.
• Principal Research Associate: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 1997.
• DOE Yucca Mountain High Level Radioactive Materials Repository Project.
• Transportation Engineer: California Department of Transportation, Oakland, CA, 1999-.
• Toll Bridge Program- Project Development/Project Controls.

My dear parents gave me birth and brought me up to be a good son. My teachers taught me everything else I know. My land of birth, Myanmar, through the sweat and hard work of its citizens supported and paid for my engineering education and my studies abroad. To each and everyone I am obligated and I give my thanks. For it is narrated in Al-Hadith that one who does not thank one another in this life even for little favors is unworthy to thank the Lord for the big favor.

Updates

• Saya retired twice.
• He was coaxed by his former students to un-retire twice.
• Saya U Thein Aung (Met72) requested Saya to work at the Lawrence Livermore Lab at UC Berkeley.
• Later, Saya U Myat Htoo (C68) requested Saya to work as Consultant for CalTrans.
• He passed away before his final retirement.
• There are four grandchildren.
  One has Allen as the first name. Another has Allen as the middle name.
• Founding member of RIT Alumni International and served as its President.
• Best known for his article, “Brother, can you afford US$500?”
• In memory of Saya, Daw Mu Mu Kin donated Sayas’ books to YTU Library. She also offered scholarship to eligible YTU students via NorCal RITAA.

• His friends sometimes call him “Htay Bo Htay”
• Enrolled at Harvard University, but also attended some courses at MIT (e.g. “SCHEME” / Lexically scoped Lisp)
• Loves to program his calculator using Reverse Polish Notation
• Per Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt, Saya Allen Htay is the eldest of five siblings (three brothers and two sisters). Youngest brother and youngest sister predeceased Younger brother is in Yangon. Younger sister in the US East Coast.

Civil 1958

• Class photo was sent by Saya Allen Htay
• Dr San Hla Aung helped to identify classmates
• U Khin Maung Win (Sidney Chen, GBNF) supplied the photograph.

Sitting: (1) U Pu (2) Dr. Aung Gyi (3) U Min Wun (4) U Ba Hli (5) Mr. Redpath (6) U Ngwe Thein (7) Mr. Eswara (8) Mr. Num Kock

1st Row: (1) Khin Maung (2) Than Aung (3) Htay Aung (4) Khin Maung Lwin (5) Kyaw Tin (6) Win Thein (7) Chit Pe (8) Shwe Tun Maung (9) Win Maung (10) Thein Lwin (11) Tun Yi (12) Than Pe

2nd Row: (1) V. Kumar (2) Kyaw Hoe (3) Allen Htay (4) Ba Hnin Chit (5) Kyaw Mya (6) Kyaw Din (7) Irwin Myaing (8) Chit Aye (9) Maung Maung (10) Nolan Wu (11) Morgan Singar

3rd Row: (1) Patrick George (2) Oscar Shirazee (3) Hla Shwe (4) Aung Par Thein (5) Saw Lwin (6) San Hla Aung (7) Shwe Win (8) Douglas Hoe (9) Sidney Chen

Notes

There was a mini-gathering at SPZP-2000. The attendees include

• Mr. Num Kok (Portland, Oregon, GBNF)
• Dr. Aung Gyi (Ottawa, Canada)
• U Min Wun (Los Angeles, California, GBNF)
• U Allen Htay (Mountain View, California, GBNF)
• Dr. San Hla Aung (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• Mr. Oscar Shirazee (Middle East)

When Sidney Chen’s health was failing, his daughter requested us to let his classmates and friends know that he was eager to regain contact with them. Sadly, he passed away.

Mr. Oscar and U Aye Win Hlaing used to work in Iran many years ago. Mr. Oscar’s spouse is the sister of U Ngwe Zoe (Peter, SPHS57, GBNF).

Due to schedule conflicts, Saya Dr. San Hla Aung could not attend some SPZPs. He retired at the age of 80. He is now free to attend many SPZPs.

Saya Dr. Win Thein (GBNF) succeeded Saya U Min Wun as Professor and Head of the Department. Except for a warning sign from an early Medical check up, Saya was healthy. He finally passed away in Yangon. His sister has donated Saya’s Garawa money to selected Charities.

Brother, can you afford Five Hundred Dollars?

And many weekends spent away from your family as well? If you can then you probably are a member of the RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe organizing committee.

It all began one day several months ago when we met over lunch at Benny Tan’s home in Hillsborough. Ko Hla Min and Ko Khin Maung Zaw among the lunch party had started the RIT Alumni website and were receiving enthusiastic responses. Hearing that the duo were carrying on the project all by themselves we decided to throw in our moral and financial support to assure its survival, realizing that it was providing a needed service for the RIT alumni to locate and communicate with each other. Every one present, ten of us at that time, took out our checkbooks and wrote out one hundred dollars each, with promises of more as needed. We informally called ourselves the RIT Alumni Bay Area Group. I was asked to be the group leader.

After that fateful event we continue to have regular meetings, hosted in turn at the homes of some among group members: Ko Hla Min, Maurice Chee, Ko Myat Htoo, Ko Thein Aung, and most recently Dr Nyo Win. Did I leave out any one? Ah yes! Ko Myint Swe and San San Swe. All the while the membership continues to grow and our objective keeps on changing from support of the website to some vague dream of a future RIT alumni organization on a global scale and finally settled on a plan for RIT Alumni Grand Reunion at the beginning of the 21st Century. Ko Hla Min broached the idea to include Saya Pu Zaw Pwe as part of the Grand Reunion in keeping with the Myanmar custom of honoring one’s teachers. As our plan jelled we got carried away by our own excitement and started talking about holding the reunion before the end of the Year 2000. After all, ending one millennium successfully augers well for success in the next millennium.

Before we fully realized what we were up to we have found an ideal site, the Embassy Suites Hotel conference hall near the San Francisco International Airport, and found ourselves making a commitment for a definite date, 28 October 2000 and a attendance fee of fifty dollars, a modest amount to encourage maximum number of Alumni to participate. The minimum capacity of the conference hall is 200 seats and we were required to make down payment and sign a rental and service agreement based on 200 seats. Our most optimistic estimate at the time was 100 attendees. If the attendance is low that means the Bay Area Group, as the Organizing Committee was not in force at the time, will have to make up the short fall. Which could amount to as much as five thousand dollars, or five hundred dollar from each group member. We hesitated a moment to reflect on what that means to us individually in terms of diminished spending power. But, in the end our attachment to RIT and the engineering profession, our sincere desire to meet the Sayas and class mates from whom we were separated for long over came us. We will accept the risks.

Thus was born the preparations in full swing for the Grand RIT Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. Others must tell the rest of the story – of struggles, compromises, and elations along the way and from participants themselves what it means to be present at the defining moment in the history of RIT Alumni.

Allen Htay,
RIT Alumni International – Bay Area Group
RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe Organizing Committee

Appreciation of SPZP-2000

Hello All:

Thanks and Congratulations for a well organized and well executed event. I believe we all went to bed early Sunday night irrespective of the change back to Standard Time (from Daylight Savings Time according to the rule “Spring forward, Fall back”) , and no doubt slept soundly and very happy, knowing full well what happened during the past three days is more than what we dared to dream. I for one took the Monday off and forgot lunch because I woke up so late. But what is one missed lunch!

Allen Htay

____

Dear Ko Maung Maung Than (M79):

Thanks for your note of appreciation for the RIT Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. Everybody chipped in: the sayas, organizers, committee members, helpers, supporters like you which we were very fortunate to have, the alumni and general guests and well-wishers. We won’t be able to host an event of this magnitude and importance if any of the components were missing.

Success belongs to everyone.

Thanks again for your generous support

Allen Htay

Remembering Saya Allen Htay

From Saya U Thit

Dear Colleagues and students

I am very sad to hear that Allen Htay passed away.

I have known Allen Htay since the early 1950s when we were both students at Methodist High School, Yegyaw, East Yangon. He was one year junior to me.

We were together again in the late 1950s when we were both Assistant Lecturers at B.O.C. Engineering College. During that time he and I together with Saya Num Kock and Saya U Aung Khin went for an excursion to visit Lawpita Hydroelectric Plant construction site near Loikaw, in Kayah State.

While I was living on the R.I.T. campus in the early 1960s he moved to a house just across the street from us.

I will always remember him coming to our house many times in the evenings for a chat with my family.

The last time I saw him was at the 2004 Saya Puzawpwe in Yangon.

He will be sadly missed by many of his friends and students.

May his soul rest in Peace.

Maung Thit (Metallurgy)
Melbourne, Australia

From the alumni in Australia

By Ko “Henry” Thet Tun

Our sincere and deepest condolences to Saya U Allen Htay & family for the demise of Saya.

From the RIT Alumni Australia & Myanmar Engineering Association of Australia Inc.

From Saya Dr. Tin Win (M62) and Daw Lily (T72)

Dear Ko Hla Min,

We are very much saddened by the departure of Saya Allen Htay. Please convey our heartfelt condolences to Daw Mu Mu and family. His good nature and kind demeanor will always live in our memory and that of those who loved him.

While we will all miss Saya Allen very much, I hope all his loved ones can find some slight comfort in knowing that his suffering has ended.

Very Sincerely,
Tin Win and Lily.

From Ko Kyaw Thu (Dennis Mackey)

Dear Ko Hla Min,

Without the RIT Alumnu Updates, I would not have known about the passing of our (me and George Peters) final year thesis supervisor Saya U Allen Htay.

Thank you for your regular as well as supplement updates.

Please convey our deepest condolences to Daw Mu Mu and family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time of great loss and sadness.

Best regards,
Dennis (Kyaw Thu) (C73) and Alice U

Editor’s Notes:
Dennis and Alice have relocated to Canada.

From Saya U Soe Paing and Daw Saw Yu Tint

My friend Allen Htay (GBNF)

Some years ago I wrote an article for the ex-RIT.org about my saya friends at RIT which included Allen Htay.

I met Allen Htay when I joined the 1st Year BSc (Engg) class at the Faculty of Engineering at Leikkhone in 1958 .Ko San Hla Aung was our drawing instructor for the main majors (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical), and Allen Htay was the instructor for the rest.

In December1958, I went on State Scholarship to Stanford University. When I returned home after completing my studies, I found myself on the same ship S S Warickshire from Liverpool to Yangon with Allen Htay, Ko Tin Maung Nyunt (Agri Eng) and Ko Ko Lay (UCC). There was also another Myanmar Ko Than Pe, a Chartered Accountant, on the ship. Those days it was customary for the Government to send the returning scholars by ship.

We normally had our meals together seated at the Chief engineer’s table. After dinner we would play bridge to spend the time. Ko Ko Lay partnered with Ko Tin Maung Nyunt and Allen Htay and Ko Than Pe took turns as my partner against them. We played almost every night after dinner and all of us became very good friends.

We got back to Yangon in October 1963. Allen Htay rejoined RIT. I was posted to RIT in January 1964 and Ko Tin Maung Nyunt in March 1964 and so we were together again. When I got married and moved into the RIT staff quarters I was at 16F, Allen Htay at 16E and Ko Tin Maung at 16D. We visited each others house very often. We also became friendly with Allen Htay’s brothers and sisters.

I have attached a photo taken during Thingyan 1966 with Allen Htay (2nd from left) and his youngest brother (extreme right).

I left RIT for UCC and the UN, and Allen Htay and Ko Tin Maung Nyunt went to the United States. All of us met gain in the Bay Area in 1985, 2001 and 2010. I saw Allen Htay at the RIT reunions in 2004 (Yangon), 2007 and 2010 (Singapore).

He could not make it to the 2012 reunion in Yangon because of his health. He was a mild mannered soft spoken gentleman and we will all miss him. May he rest in peace.

Daw Mu Mu Kin (Saya’s Spouse)

“Let me count the ways [to love]” by Elizabeth Browning is a poem present by Ma Ma Mu to Saya Allen.

Donations in Saya Allen’s Memory

In memory of Saya, Daw Mu Mu Kin

• donated Saya’s books to YTU Library
• provided cabinets for Saya’s books
• sponsored scholarships for eligible YTU students

Ko Maurice Chee (M75) coordinated the donation of books.

NorCal RITAA and some volunteer alumni from Yangon coordinated the selection of scholarship recipients.

Related Posts

• C58
• Civil Engineering
• RIT Alumni International
• RIT Sayas
• SF Bay Area Alumni
• SPZPs

by Hla Min

Updated : May 2026

Some passed away due to old age and natural causes. Sad to learn that many succumbed to the pandemic. See related posts for details (life and achievement …)

Class of 59

• Uzin U Bo Gyi (A59)
  Designer of Daw Khin Kyi Mausoleum

Class of 68

• Sayama Daw Mya Mya Than (EP68)
• U Zaw Win (Cyril, EP68)
• U Saw Win (EP68)

Class of 69

• The GBNF list is maintained by U Aung Min (M69) and his team
• So sad and alarming

• U Soe Myint Thein (E) : #113
• U Tin Shwe (C69) : #112 & spouse
• Nan Su Su (T69) : #111 & spouse
• Saya U Kyaw Tint (Min69) : #110
• U Thein Maung (M69) : #109
• Saw Tobias Kittim Ku (A69) : #108
• U Aung Gyi Shwe (EP) : #107
• U Chit Pe (M69) : #106
• U Khin Maung Gyi (M69) : #105
• U Soe Win (M69) : #104
• U Thein Swe (EP69) : #103
• U Tun (Met 69) : #102
• U Aung Myint (C) : #101
• U Tin Aye (A Rauf, EP69) : #100
• U Yi Pin (Mg Mg Kaung, M69) : #99
• U Tin Sun (C69) : #98

Class of 70

• Sayadaw U Wara (U Win Paing, ChE70) : #111
• U Win Kyi (Kyar Zan, C, 64 Intake) : #110
• U Hla Min (C, 64 Intake, SuperOne) : #109
• U Khin Maung Maung (C70) : #108
• Ko Soe (M70, Sittang Mill) : #107
• U Aung Myint (Eric, C70)
• U Min Maung (Mg Mg, MAuto70)
• Maung Par (Pet70)

Class of 71

• U Kyaw Maung (Min71)
• U Ye Gaung (Pet71)
• U Hla Min (C71, Intake of 64)
• Willie Ko Shwe (SPHS65)

Class of 72

• U Ngwe Htun (C72)
• U Hla Maung (C72)
• U Myo Myint Pe (ChE72)
• U Khin Maung Myint (John Tint, M72)
• Freda Tin Swe Aye (ChE72)
• Tommy Win (66 Intake)
• U Pe Aye (66 Intake)
• U Than Tun Zan (66 Intake, EP76)
• U Soe Myint (Shwe Thwar, M72)

Class of 73

• U Ko Ko Gyi (C73)
• U Aung San (C73)
• U Soe Win (C73)
• U Win Kyi (C73)

Class of 74

• U Tin Aung (C74)
• U Soe Than (C74)
• U Kyaw Thaung (C74)
• U Myo Thant (C74)
• U Maung Maung Myint (C74)
• U Aung Htut (C74)
• Md Zubai (M74)
• Daw Ni Ni Than (M74)
• U Nay Win (Tommy, Met74)
• U Win Myint (Myeik, ChE74)
• U Kyaw Kyaw (M/EP74)

Class of 75 – 79

• U Myat Swe (Benedict Sia, M75)
• U Aung Kyaw Myint (C77)
• U Khine Tin (C77)
• Daw May Kyi (EP78)
• U Myat Lay (C78)
• U Win Maung (C79)
• U Win Myint Htay (C79)
• U Robin Thet Naing (C79)
• U Nyunt Aung (Mn7x)
• Daw Kyi Kyi Win (T)
• U Than Sin Myint (Met)
  

Class of 80 – 89

• U Soe Naing Aung (C80)
• Daw San Myint (C80)
• Daw Khin Khin Oo (C80)
• U Thar Hlaing (C80)
• U Myo Thant (C80)
• U Khin Sein (M80)
• U Ba Thein (C82)
• U Tint Lwin (C82)
• U Min Lwin Pe (C83)
• U Nay Win (C83)
• U Kyi Win (C83)
• U Hla Myo Aung (C83)
• U Ko Ko Su (EP83)
• U Myo Win (C84)
• U Tin Maung Myint (C84)
• U Tin Win (C84)
• U Min Min Soe (C85)
• U Tin Oo (C85)
• U Tun Thein (C85)
• U Toe Aung (C85)
• U Soe Lwin (C85)
• U Tint Wai (C85)
• U Win Nyunt (M86)
• U Aung Min (C86)
• U Win Sein (C86)
• U Latt Myint Naing (C86)
• U Kyaw Lin Oo (C87)
• Daw San San Myint (C87)

Class of 9O – 99

• U Tin Oo (C91)
• Dr. Tin Tin Win (C92)
• U Than Htay (C92)
• U Aung Min (C92)
• U Nyan Tun (C94)
• U Tin Maung Myint (C95 Jan)
• U Tun Zaw (C96)
• U Zaw Tun (C96)
• U Htay Aung Tint (C98)
• U Myo Win / Myo Myo (C98)
• U Than Win Tun (Bldg Dip 99)
• U Khin Aung Lin (83 Intake)

Class of 2000 – 2009

• U Tint Lwin Oo (C03 Apr)
• U Ko Ko Aung (C03 Apr)
• U Kyaw Naing Thu (C04)

Spouses of Alumni

• Spouse of U Aye Thein (EP69)
• Spouse of U Hla Shwe (T69)
• Spouse of U Thein Swe (EP69)
• Spouse of U Yi Pin (M69)
• Spouse of Sa Maung Maung (EP69)
• Spouse of Daw Aung (ChE79)
• Spouse of U Kyaw Sint (T70)
• Spouse of U Win Aung (M70)
• Spouse of Nan Su Su (T69)
• Spouse of U Tin Shwe (C69)

Sayas and Sayamas (From RIT and Other Universities)

• U Kyaw Tint (Mining)
• U Soe Lwin (Mech)
• Daw Khin Saw Tint (Eng)
• Dr. Kyaw Win (Pro Rector)
• Daw Mya Mya Than (EP)
• U Khin Maung Maung (Civil)
• Dr. Mi Sandar Mon (Mech)
• U Nyunt Yin (Physics)
• Dr. Win Thein (Civil)
• U Ngwe Tun (Civil)
  
• U Ko Ko Lay (Maths)
• Dr. Khin Maung Win (Maths)
• Daw Kyin Kyin (Maths)
• U Kyin Ko (Maths)
• Dr. Zin Aung (Physics)
• U Kyaw Tun (ChE & Chem)
• Dr. Tin Win (David, Chem)
• U Tin Aung Han (Geology)
• Robert Thein Tun (YU English)
• U Win Maung (DGHE)
• Dr. Robert Tun Maung (Rector)
• Dr. Mie Mie Thet Thwin (Rector, UCSY)
• Daw Khin Ann Mon (ICST)
• Dr. Maung Maung Sein (Surgeon)

Relatives & friends

• Dr. Myo Tint (Cousin)
• Daw Aye May (Cousin)
• Daw Maibelle Maw
• Daw Thiri Nyunt We (UCC)
• U Aung Win (Alex)
• Dr. Soe Min Thein (Soe Aung)
• U Khin (father of U Soe Myint, UCC, UN)
• Daw Khin Pyone Kyi (Mother of Daw Kyi Kyi Aye)
• Daw Tin May (Mother of Daw Mi Mi Aung)
• Mother of Daw Phyu Phyu Kyaw (UCC)
• Brother of U Kyi Shane (M83)
• Brother and SIL of Don Min U Yu Swan
• Sister and BIL of U Moe Myint (M76) Sister of Daw Moh Moh Han (A77)
• Mother, Aunt and Brother of U Hlaing Myint (UCC)
• Son of Daw Khin Saw Tint (Eng)
• Daughter of Tobias Kittim Ku (A69)
• Sister of Daw Khin Toe Myint (Zoo)
• Father of Daw Nwe Ni Tun (ICST)
• Father of Daw Thin Thu Naing (ICST)
• Father of Daw Win Pa Pa Ko (ICST)
• Brother of L Shark Moon (C67)
• Sister of U Soe Lwin (EC66)
• Khamee Khamets of U Soe Lwin (EC66)
• Brother of U Aung Win (Owen, M71)
• Son of U Khin Zaw (Chem)
• Son of U Win Maung (Point)
• Father of U Tin Oo (M87)
• Uncle, aunt and two cousins of Daw Tin Tin Cho
• Brother, cousin and Khameee Khamets of U Win Thein (SLRD)
• Brother-in-law of U Wint Khin Zaw (A)
• Brother of U Tin Nwe (C68)
• Brother of Dr. U Win (Geography)

Miscellaneous

• Dr. Khin Nyo Thet
• Daw Khin Yi (Spouse of Dr. Than Tun)
• Dr. Shwe Tun & Daw Mi Mi
• Dr. Sein Maung (Banking)
• Dr. Naga Thein Hlaing (Surgeon)
• Dr. Myint Oo (Community Health)
• U San Ma Tu (Comedian)
• Tekkatho Aye Mg (Reggie Ba Oo, Musician)
• Aung Cheint (Kabyar)
• Maung Moe Thu (Author)
• Several Ah Nu Pyinnya Shin

by Hla Min

Updated : May 2026

Maung Maung Kyi

• Eldest son of Dr. Maung Maung and Daw Kyi Kyi
• Siblings : Kyi Kyi Hla, Maung Maung Khant, Maung Maung Thant, Maung Maung Myint, Maung Maung San, Khin Thitsar, Khin Sabai
• Matriculated from St. Paul’s High School in 1963. Stood 11th in the whole of Burma and won Collegiate Scholarship.
• Joined Rangoon Universities’ Boat Club. Our Paulian crew — Mg Mg Kyi, Hla Min, Kyaw Win, Willie Soe Mg and Myint Thein (cox) — was Senior Novices Runners-up in the Monsoon Regatta. All became RUBC Full Green.
• Rangoon University was closed citing security concerns after the protests of the 1st Anniversary of 7th July. Mg Mg Kyi and Kyaw Win applied for Government Scholarship to study Engineering at Dresden University.
• Mg Mg Kyi received the Masters (equivalent) in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Pulp and Paper.
• He worked for PPIC (notably Sittang and Yay Ni Paper Mills).
• He found his love Khin May Than (Che72). They raised two sons — Rimon Than & Khemar Than.
• The family moved to Wales, UK.

Dr. Rimon Than

• Elder son of U Maung Maung Kyi and Daw Khin May Than.
• Medical Doctor / Specialist
• Experienced Mountain Climber
• Squadron Leader in Royal Aut Force
• Accomplished “Rescue Team Leader”.
• Sadly, he passed away on February 15, 2013 during a mountaineering training in Scotland due to an avalanche.

See BBC news at

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/…/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-214690…>.

• Mg Mg Kyi and Khin May Than were visiting Yangon at the time. They had to fly back to Wales to attend the funeral service with military honors.

Ogmore by the sea

• Mg Mg Kyi and Khin May Than were deeply hurt by the untimely loss of their elder son.
• Their younger son (Dr. Khemar Than) moved back from Japan to be close to his parents.
• MMK and KMT gave their house to Khemar, and moved to Ogmore-by-the-sea.
• MMK invited me to see his new home.

Visit to Wales

In 2017, we visited UK.

My cousin nephew Dr. Khin Tun (Peter) drove us to Wales to visit Mg Mg Kyi and Khin May Than at their new home Ogmore-by-the-sea.

See the posts about the mini-gathering.

Updates

• Dr. “Peter” Khin Tun (MRCP, Former Associate Dean of Oxford University) was a victim of Covid-19 and the lax Guidelines of NIH. He passed away on April 13, 2020. The news and TV coverage about the sad story led to reevaluation of procedures and support for NIH doctors and staff combating Covid.
• Maung Maung Kyi passed away peacefully in November 2024. His younger sisters — Dr. Kyi Kyi Hla, Daw Khin Thitsar and Dr. Khin Sabai — performed Soon Kwyay Dana for the 1st Anniversary of Maung Maung Kyi’s demise.

Memories