There were several gatherings during my visit to Yangon in January, 2018.
Mini-gathering hosted by me
69er Monthly Gathering
UCC gathering hosted by the Myints
5th Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe of ICST and UCSY
Lunch gathering hosted by MARB sayas
Mini-gathering hosted by me
Host : Me
During my visits to Myanamar, several friends gave me rides.
U Win Maung (Lake) gave a ride to three alumni:
U Myint Maung (Bu, Volleyball)
Ashin Okkantha (Uzin Aung Chaw, Victor) who came down from Sagaing Hills
Yours truly
Since it was short notice, some former classmates could not show up.
A notable exception was U Win Thein Zaw (“Wai Lu”) who came down from Nay Pyi Taw at the breakfast gathering. His spouse is a cousin of U Win Boh (Robert).
Standing:
U Shwe (Treasurer of the 69er HCF and EE 69er HCF)
U Sein Myint (Major donor of the HCFs, RIT Selected for Rowing, Swimming and Water Polo)
Ashin Okkantha (Uzin Aung Chaw, Sagaing Hills)
U Win Maung (Lake, RIT Selected for Swimming and Water Polo)
U Hla Min (Host, also donated to the HCFs)
Seated :
U Myat Soe Lwin (Sai Hwet, Survived a fall from the ceiling)
U Win Thein Zaw (Member of Pyithu Hluttaw in Nay Pyi Taw)
U Kyi Win (Kyaw Gyi, former sea farer, yogi)
U Myint Maung (Selected for EE Volleyball, One of the youngest 69er, Eligible bachelor)
Sharing Merits
I hosted the mini-gathering.
I also donated to the 69er HCF (Health Care Fund) and the EE69ers HCF.
Attended Hwa Kyone. Sponsored publication of Hwa Kyone Centennial Magazine
Attended GTI briefly
Took Language Courses
Matriculated with Distinctions in Maths, Physics & Chemistry.
Admitted to 1st BE in Nov 1964 with Roll No. 8
Graduated with Electrical Communications in 1970
Moved to USA
Successful careers as IC Designer, CEO of QTC, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Never forgot his Roots, Alma Mater, Mentors & Motherland. He sang “Shwe Mi” at 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles.
Special Name
An administrator entered the name as Steeve (instead of Steve). He appreciated the name for being special.
Education
MS from Stanford University
MBA from Pepperdine University
Work & Experience
S 1S 2S 3S 4
Electronics Engineer : Designer of Power IC Chip
Co-founder & CEO, QTC Management : His sister Dr. Lay Kay had patents for processing disability claims & requested Steeve to found QTC.
After private investors showed interest in his company, he retired but continued to lead a multiple-purpose career
Visiting places of the world’s leading religions
Incubating projects of young professionals
Supporting education (e.g. as trustee of UC Irvine & selected Colleges)
Maintaining diverse business portfolio
Helping those in need (via Kay Family Foundation & CABA)
Continue paying back the metta & cetana of his mentors as Golden Sponsor of RIT Reunion & Saya Pu Zaw Pwes, Helen and Steeve Kay Health Care Fund for the RIT Sayas and Sayamas.
From the SPZP-2000 Archives
RIT Poet Laureate Ko Hla Min:
I must admit that I was suffering from a Monday morning “hangover”, having been intoxicated with emotional overdose over the reunion weekend [in October 2000].
Judging from the post-reunion emails I read, I am not alone. What a reunion!
By all measures, it was a success and did satisfy the alumni’s tremendous pent-up desire to reconnect with each other after many decades of separation. The dedication of the members of the organizing committee is second to none.
With the assistance of his lovely wife, Benny Tan devoted practically full-time to this project for several months. I had a first-hand experience to see how meticulous he was when he was designing the RIT T-shirt. It came out a winner!
I do appreciate the sensitivity the organizing committee displayed in making this event non-religious and non-political. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for me to attend. The only regret is that I failed to locate the whereabouts of my buddy Ko Aung Min of Taunggyi (ME 70). I heard he went to Singapore, but so far my search has ended in “no find”.
Now that the grand reunion is over, everybody is slowly recovering from the “hangover”. The big question is who would go to Singapore in 2002, and how do we go about doing it?
With best regards, Steeve Kay (Ko Thaung Sein)
Sponsor / Host of Gatherings
Steeve (Center) at Benny’s houseSPZP-2012Steeve (Center) in Yangon
SPZPs (starting with SPZP-2000 in US)
40th Anniversary of “Arrival in US”
Celebrating 40th Anniversary of Arrival in USA
Celebrating the Success of QTC
Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe(s) for the Combined 1st BE Intake of 64
2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles
2015
Special PZP and Reunion in Yangon (after doctors advised against Long Trips)
Most members graduated in 1970. Some left RIT before graduation. A few took Sabbatical & graduated later.
U Ohn Khine (M70) reports the Gone But Not Forgotten (GBNF) list periodically.
An entry contains
Name (Alias or nickname)
Roll Number in 1st BE
Major/Discipline
Date of demise (if known)
Status
As ofJune 20, 2025, there were 143 entries in the GBNF list.
Tommy Shwe 2 : RIT Selection for Badminton; Moved to Taiwan & USA; Kidnapped & murdered by his Handyman
Tommy Shwe
Cho Aye 3 Mech 7/8/18 : RIT Hiking & Mountaineering; Organizer for the Group
Cho Aye (Standing rightmost)
Peter Pe 4 Mech : RIT Swimming & Water Polo; Fell off from a horse
Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay) 8 Elec : Entrepreneur; Multiple Golden Sponsor for SPZP; Philanthropist; Steeve & Helen Kay Health Care Fund for RIT Sayas; CABA; Kay Family Foundation
Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay) at 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles
Victor Jones 41 Civil
Ne Win 45 Tex
Tin Ohn 49 Mech
Naing Win 54 Mech : Spouse Polly Ba San was Burma Selected in Swimming
Mya Daung 58 Mech/Agri
Lay Myint 60 Civil
Khin Maung Pun 66 Petro ?/10/16 : Named after his birthplace Papun
Myo Thaw 68 5/15
Aung Kyan 71 Mech/Auto
Thet Win 75 Mech
Hla Min (Pauk Si) 82 Elec : Chief Operator at UCC; Passed away in his 30s
Mg Mg Myint (Japu Sein) 93 Mech : RIT Selection for Soccer
Soe Tint (Nevil Kyi Mg) 94 Civil
Mg Mg Than 97 Mech 8/7/18
Le Le Win (Lilian Tha Mya) 100 Mech
Nan Lwin 102 Elec
Myat Khine (Tha Aye) 104 Mech
Han Kyu Pe 110 Arch : Paulian
Than Tun (Ivan Win) 114 Mech/Agri
Aung Win 120 Chem
Aye Thin 122 Chem
Chit Khin 124 Arch 23/6/15
Than Sein 130 Mech
Aung Kyi 135 Mech
Khin Mg Saan 139 Civil
Ko Ko Tin (Winston Hla Mg) 141 Mech
Saw Pae Pae 143 Met
Win Maw (George Hock) 146
Ma Yin Shwe Tun 150 Tex
Myat Myat Moe 154 Arch
Ma Htay Htay Win (Marlene Mg Mg) 158 Chem
Than Myint 168 23/1/13
Myint Thein 172 Mech
Phone Thwin 177 Min
Than Nyunt Win 181 Civil
Khin Mg Kyu 183 Mech
Win Thein 185 Elec
Ma Khin Mya Oo 188 Met
Kyaw Naing (Sin Gwan) 191 Elec : RIT EE Saya
Mg Mg Yu 194 Mech/Agri
Tin Aye 195 Mech/Agri
Htike Nyan 198 Elec 26/10/15
Aung Khin 203 Mech
Kyi May Nwae 206 Met
Tin Win 209 Chem
Myat Swe (Myint Swe) 215 Elec 22/3/15
Kyaw Win Mhan 234 Arch
Ma Yaw Ze 243 Chem
Hla Shwe 247 Mech Lar Gyi
Min Thant (Maurice Bo Ni) 254 Elec
Tin Win (Arthur) 256 Mech
Aung Htay 277 Civil
Michael Shein Myint 280 Chem
Mar Mar 292 Civil
Thein Htun 304 Mech 29/8/18
Mg Mg Oo 312 PP
Myo Tint (Stanley Hla) 313 PP
Mg Mg Swe 314 Mech ?/1/18
Min Swe 318 Mech
Ye Myint Aung 323 Mech
Toe Nyunt 326 Elec
Tin Ko 330 Met
Aung Law Ha 342 Mn 30/1/16
Ma Tin Tin 348 Mech/Agri
Kyaw Swe Thet 354 Mech 2017
Kan Myint 371 Mech
Aye Than 385 Elec 25/4/16
Khin Soe 388
Khin Than Win 389 Tex 3/9/18 : Silver Pearl Diary co-owner
Pu Zaw Pwe is a Noble Tradition that is practiced in Burma.
Thet Kyee PZP is for paying respect to the Elders. The age requirements vary.
Saya PZP is for paying respect to the sayas and sayamas. Some use the term Acariya PZP.
Thet Kyee PZP
In some places, a Senior Day is held. Transportation, Food, Entertainment and Photo-shoot are provided for Old people of all races and creeds.
Thet Kyee PZP may be held in conjunction with a Festival, e.g Thingyan or Thadinkyut. Buddhists may also pay respect physically to the Elders.
MES organized Thet Kyee PZP for Senior Engineers and Architects.
The All-Mechanical Gathering also had a program to pay respect to Thet Kyee Mechanical Engineers.
Acariya PZP
Examples :
Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65
M72 (and some other Disciplines)
ICST/UCSY
Saya PZP
RIT Alumni International hosted the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in San Francisco, California in October 2000. The term SPZP was chosen over Saya Ga Dawt Pwe so that Alumni of different Faith can pay back the Metta and Cetana of their mentors. I am honored to be a Core Organizer of SPZP-2000. I wrote the poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE”. It was published in the RIT website and the Commemorative Issue of the RIT Alumni Newsletter for SPZP-2000.
Singapore hosted SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) and team published Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for the SPZPs. My poem was reprinted on the Back Cover of SDYSS-2002. I wrote a poem “SWE DAW YEIK” for SDYSS-2007. I wrote an article “EE Sayas : A Sad and Short Clip” for SDYSS-2010.
Yangon hosted SPZP-2004, SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016. Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Magazine was published for SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016. U Saw Lin (GBNF) was Chief Editor of SDYM-2012. Saya U Moe Aung was Chief Editor of SPZP-2016. Several Distinguished Authors (e.g Ma Sandar, Maung Sein Win — Padeegone, N Jar Thaing, Aw Pi Kye) also served as Editors.
Due to the pandemic, SPZP-2020 was canceled.
Some of the Organizers and Volunteers of the SPZPs are GBNF. They include Saya Allen Htay, Ko Saw Lin, Ko Aung Moung, Ko Than Sin Myint and Ko Robin.
Several Sayas are GBNF. They include U Ba Toke, H Num Kok, U Soe Khaw, U Khin Aung Kyi, U Thit, Dr. Mg Mg Win, S Arya, S Kyaw Aye, U Soe Lwin.
Sayas U Ba Than, U Aung Khin, Dr. Aung Gyi and U Min Win are 90+ years young. Many of our sayas are 80+ years young.
We hope to see SPZPs in the not so distant future (after the Calamities have ended).
HlaMin 