James William Tan, age 23, passed away in the early morning hours on March 9, 2022.

Born on January 27, 1999 in Salt Lake City, James was a bright and fun-loving child. His youth was filled with many trips and many smiles as he loved seeing the country as well as visiting family back in China. Throughout life, James enjoyed both playing and watching all sorts of sports, especially basketball. Heavily influenced by his older brother’s fandoms, James too became a big fan of both the Utah Jazz and Utah Utes which continued through his life. He was a bright student and a talented pianist, despite the excess time he spent dedicating to his true passion: video games.

James graduated from Alta High School in 2016 and attended college at the University of Utah. While basketball and video games continued to be constant hobbies, he also developed an interest in rock climbing. He loved his dog nephews, Darwin and Chance, and took every opportunity to visit and play in the yard with them. The birth of his niece brought him great joy and Emma was always thrilled when the two of them would share sorbet.

James was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents: Tan Zi-xong and Wu Zi-yun, and maternal grandfather: Chen Jiangong. James is survived by his father: Jie Tan, mother: Xiaobei Chen, brother: Irving (Madisen) Tan, and niece: Emma.

A small, private service will be held for immediate family members.