Benjamin HeeChan Bae, son of the late Bae Ku Yul and Suh Jae Soon, died November 12, 2023 at State College, PA.

He was born December 18, 1939 in Busan South Korea, but grew up in Seoul, South Korea. In 1966, he came to the United States on a half-time teaching assistantship in the Department of Micriobiology of the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in State College, PA. He married Inha Ahn in 1971. He became a naturalized U.S. Citizen in 1976.

He is survived by his wife, Inha Bae, a daughter, Susan Fell, a son, Shane Bae, and three granddaughters, Sophia Fell, Kayla Bae, and Lily Bae.

He received his B.S. degree in Biology from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea and his M.S. and PhD degrees in Microbiology from PSU. He was a research associate for PSU for 1 year. Subsequently, he moved to New York City and received post doctoral training in Clinical Microbiology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center for 6 months. He was the Chief of Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. for 25 years. He taught residents and fellows and did research in the development of simple, cost-effective diagnostic microbiology procedures and his work was published in numerous scientific publications. He believed in and practiced the notion that man should do his utmost while working and being paid for the work regardless of his dislike for the job or compensation.

Always fond and appreciative of his time and opportunities at Penn State University, Benjamin Bae was a generous donor and part of the Hetzel Circle of the Presidents Club for donations to Penn State. He also donated generously to the Penn State Fund Eberly College of Science, the Pattee/Paterno Library Fund, and the Penn State Fund Graduate School.

The family will receive their friends at the Varcoe-Thomas Funeral Home, 344 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 from 10:30 am – 11:30 am, with a service to begin at 11:30 am.

Interment will follow in Newtown Cemetery, Newtown, PA at 12:45 pm.

Please join the family at the Celebration of Life luncheon following the interment at The Grey Stone Fine Food and Spirits, 552 Washington Crossing Road, Newtown, PA 18940 at 1:00 pm.

Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com