Juliana Young Koo, who was one of the first staff members at the United Nations protocol and liaison department in New York, died peacefully at the age of 111 on May 24 at her home in New York.

On Tuesday afternoon, a memorial service was held at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in Manhattan, with Koo's family members and friends in attendance.

Koo encountered many challenges during her long life, which she faced with courage and optimism, as reflected in her motto: "Every day is a good day," according to a press release.

An admired beauty in Shanghai, she married a young diplomat, Clarence Kuangson Young, and moved to Europe where she embarked on the demanding life of a diplomat's wife, a role she filled with energy and style.

Left a widow with three young daughters - Gene, Shirley and Frances - after her husband was imprisoned by the Japanese in Manila and executed at the end of World War II, she chose to come to the United States, where she believed her children would have greater opportunities.

Having to support her family, she got a job as a protocol and liaison officer at the United Nations, where she worked for 13 years.

She married Wellington Koo in 1959 and lived in The Hague, Netherlands, where he was a judge on the International Court of Justice. They moved to New York City when he retired in 1966.

Known by friends and family as a wife and mother first, she was the core of an extended family that included three daughters, seven grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, as well as members of the Koo family.

"Because of her, the family has been brought together over the years," said second daughter Shirley Young after the service. "That has been the happiest thing for us."

Beyond family, she also was the focal point for her many friends, with mahjong games and sumptuous dinners, serving as an inspiration as well as a beacon of optimism.

A fervent believer in the value of education, she provided excellent educations for her daughters and for the children of her extended family and household.

"My mother always told us to study hard and to be confident, and taught us to be self-reliant and resourceful," said Shirley Young, who is a former corporate vice-president with General Motors Corp.

"She always looked at the positive side in people and always in the circumstances," said Oscar Tang, husband of her deceased daughter Frances Young Tang. "Even though she faced a lot of difficulties, she could finally build a wonderful life because she always had this attitude."

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com