Daniel Kwa, M.D.
elevated i8yfa February 28, 1942 – January 5, 2026
elevated i8yfa Daniel Kwa, M.D., known lovingly as “Oom Daan,” passed away on Monday, January 5, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of brilliance, generosity, humor, and deep devotion to family.
elevated i8yfa Born on February 28, 1942, he was the youngest of four sons, growing up in Indonesia during its time as a Dutch colony. Born to Dutch-educated Chinese-Indonesian parents, Daniel attended a Dutch school, an opportunity that shaped his early academic excellence.
elevated i8yfa He graduated from the University of Airlangga Faculty of Medicine in 1967, beginning a lifelong journey in medicine that would take him across continents. In 1970, Daniel immigrated to the United States with his brother Francis and Francis’s family, sharing an apartment in East Orange, New Jersey, as they built their new lives in what they lovingly called the land of opportunity.
elevated i8yfa Daniel completed his postgraduate training with extraordinary distinction, including: internship at Rutgers Health (1970–1971); residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (1971–1973); residency in Pathology at Henry Ford Hospital (1973–1975); and fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital (1975–1976). He went on to become the first minority physician to work at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, breaking barriers with quiet confidence and excellence.
elevated i8yfa Daniel’s intellect was legendary within the family. His brother often said that Daan was the smartest among them. This brilliance was recognized nationally when Daniel received a gold medal for Pathology Research in Cancer, a rare honor awarded only once per year across the entire United States.
elevated i8yfa In 1979, Daniel married Su Yung, and together they built a life filled with love, laughter, and deep companionship. They lived in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, and Voorhees, New Jersey, before eventually settling in Delaware.
elevated i8yfa A proud Catholic, Daniel was a devoted 4th-degree Knight of Columbus, living out his faith through service, humility, and kindness.
elevated i8yfa Beyond medicine, Daniel had many passions. As a young man in Indonesia, he loved birding and famously raised parakeets and canaries from eggs to adulthood. His family fondly remembers the hundreds of birds housed in large cages lining three walls of his childhood home’s backyard in Surabaya. In addition to birding, he also loved keeping fish. Behind the house were many stone fish tanks, where countless fish thrived and multiplied under his attention. He also found great joy in gardening—and even enjoyed eating mangos from trees he nurtured himself, sometimes with rice, a simple pleasure that reflected his free spirit.
elevated i8yfa Those who knew him remember his infectious laugh, sharp wit, and incredible generosity. He was kind, endlessly curious, and “super smart.” It was all part of the charm of a man who lived fully and authentically.
elevated i8yfa Daniel Kwa, M.D., will be remembered not only for his extraordinary achievements, but for the warmth of his spirit, the depth of his love, and the joy he brought to everyone around him.
elevated i8yfa He will be deeply missed and forever cherished. He is survived by his wife, Su Yung Kwa and his eldest brother, Francis Kwa.
Interment
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.
Assumption Catholic Cemetery
6933 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1N4
