Harrison Chen, aged 14, left  us over Thanksgiving break, surrounded by his family in Monterey. He lived in Palo Alto and attended Palo Alto High School as a freshman.

Harrison was a kind, inquisitive boy who embodied both humility and intelligence. He was always positive and level-headed, no matter the circumstance, and kept an optimistic outlook on life. He could often be found reading a different book each day, eager to learn and discover more about his surroundings.

Born on Feb. 12, 2001 in Mountain View to Hongbiao Chen and Jieyun Wan, Harrison attended Stockmeir Elementary School in Sunnyvale, El Carmelo Elementary School and Jane Lathrop Stanford (JLS) Middle School where he exuded creativity and curiosity. At the young age of nine, Harrison not only learned how to make a parallel circuit but also sought to explore more about the subject by attempting to build an electric car.

Harrison was a great student who excelled in all subjects, and was well-known for his exceptional math skills. He skipped a grade in math classes and was an avid member of the Paly Math Club. Harrison also earned the highest score on the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10, an examination which is typically taken by sophomores, of any student at JLS.

Harrison will always be remembered as someone who questioned the world around him. One day, he said  that the sky looked like the inside of a plastic bag, as the way the clouds moved and the blue sky shimmered made him believe that there was some sort of effect in the atmosphere that made it look similar.

An event to celebrate Harrison’s life will be hosted tomorrow at The Lord’s Grace Christian Church, located at 1101 San Antonio Rd., from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. There will also be an open-casket service afterwards at Cusimano Family Colonial Mortuary from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.