At the memorial service Saturday for the 21-year-old Naperville woman killed while vacationing in Germany, Eva Liu was remembered as someone with a big heart who was always encouraging those around her.
Hundreds of friends and family members gathered for the funeral at Naperville’s Living Water Evangelical Church. Those who knew her described her as full of love and joy with a bright future ahead of her.
A 30-year-old American man is believed responsible for her death. He is in German police custody for allegedly attacking Liu and pushing her into a 156-foot ravine June 14 near a castle in Bavaria. Her longtime friend, Kelsey Chang, of Bloomington-Normal, was also thrown in the ravine but survived the fall.
Church leaders led hymns, invocations and scripture readings, switching back and forth between Chinese and English, on a stage adorned with an array of colorful flowers. Family members, giving emotional, tearful remembrances, often spoke about Liu in the present tense and said they looked forward to seeing her again in heaven.
Her twin sister, Alice, remembered how the two did everything in tandem — from playing the piano to baking to even writing emails. She said Eva, who was the more outgoing and daring of the two, was always encouraging her, reassuring her that her decision to pursue eight years of graduate school was the right one.
Her father, Lan Liu, recalled how when Eva and her sister were growing up, the twins would wake up in the morning, put toothpaste on his and his wife’s toothbrushes and set out cups of water for them, then read quietly in their rooms until their parents woke up. Eva was active in her church and Bible study, and ardently prayed, he said.
Eva Liu was born in Guangzhou, China, on Oct. 30, 2001, before emigrating to Canada in 2005. Her family moved to Naperville in 2012, and she attended Madison Junior High School, Naperville Central High School and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, from which she graduated in 2019.
She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science in May at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and was to start her career at Microsoft as a software engineer this month.
A photo slideshow illustrated Liu’s life — her and her sister in their dance outfits as children, participating in grade school activities and her recent college graduation. There were many pictures of her posing with a smile at historical and natural wonders around the globe. She had a zest for seeing the world, her family said.
She also had a passion for making chocolate and other baked goods (her sister said she always knew who preferred dark or milk chocolate when sharing them with friends and family).
A high school classmate, Elizabeth Tang, said Liu had a “giant heart” and “beautiful soul.” Robyn Norton, who worked at Liu’s high school in Aurora, said Liu expressed more “love and joy” in her 21 years than many people do if they live to be 100.
“Her infectious smile, loving heart, sweet treats and unwavering support for family, friends and all who knew her will never be forgotten,” said her cousin Kally Zhao, reading from Liu’s obituary.
Giles Bruce is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
