Echopedia

Cheng Dazhi (鄭達志)

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Cheng Dazhi (鄭達志)

Cheng Dazhi (鄭達志) is a Taiwanese American artist and sculptor, known for his wood carvings. His work includes sculptures titled “智者” (The Wise) and “富蘭克林” (Franklin), which reflect his philosophical approach to art and life.

Identity Snapshot

  • English: Cheng Dazhi
  • Chinese: 鄭達志
  • Core roles: Artist, sculptor
  • Notable works: “智者” (The Wise), “富蘭克林” (Franklin)
  • Geography: San Francisco Bay Area
  • Related to: |Zheng Bingquan — fellow community member and author of his 2023 TAHS profile

Overview

Cheng Dazhi is an artist whose primary medium is wood sculpture. His works “智者” (The Wise) and “富蘭克林” (Franklin) demonstrate his skill in carving and his engagement with philosophical themes. The profile, written by |Zheng Bingquan, includes details about his childhood, his approach to art, and his impact on the local Taiwanese American community.

Life (from the 2023 TAHS Publication archive)

鄭達志 (John Cheng) was born in Taiwan in 1969 and immigrated to the United States with his parents at age one, growing up in a small town in East Texas. His father, a small-town physician, inspired him to enter medicine. He earned his medical degree at Texas Tech School of Medicine, completed residency and research training in family and sports medicine with UCLA and Kaiser, and joined South Coast Medical Group in Aliso Viejo, focusing on nutrition and sports-medicine care. He served as team physician for the Aliso Niguel High School football team and led medical examinations for its ~400 student athletes, and trained in traditional martial arts (七星螳螂拳, per his coach’s shirt in photos cited by the Tyler Morning Telegraph).

The Laguna Woods shooting, 2022-05-15

Zheng was not a member of the Geneva Presbyterian Church congregation in Laguna Woods (used by the local Taiwanese Presbyterian community, all services in Taiwanese); he attended that day to accompany his widowed mother in place of his father, who had died about three months earlier. When the gunman (周文偉, David Wenwei Chou) opened fire at the post-service lunch, Zheng rushed him and took three bullets, physically blocking further shots; the gun then jammed, allowing pastor |張宣信 (Billy Chang) to strike the gunman with a chair while others subdued him. Zheng, 52, died; he is survived by his wife and two children (his son was about to enter UCLA pre-med). CNN and other media covered him as the “hero physician” of the shooting — see also |Laguna Woods Taiwanese Church shooting, |Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church (張宣信’s church) and |Laguna Woods Village Taiwanese Club.

From the record

  • 複核（TJJ-A09260500-10, 2026-09-27）：本 slice 文章 8362234ba338aea7（南加州槍擊案的省思, 洪錦鈺社論, 2022-05-17）正文再驗證——鄭達志醫師挺身而出防止悲劇擴大之記述確認見於正文，subject 連結為真，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；對應日期事實條目（已掛該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，已飽和。

  • 覆核（TJJ-A09260800-6, 2026-09-30）：slice 09260800-6 文章 117bdbbd9b362236（周文偉槍擊案報導, 2022-05-16）正文再驗證 — 鄭達志（John Cheng, 遇害醫師）連結確認見於正文，屬其本人頁之真實提及，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；無新增史實（事件記述已在 Overview 飽和）— SKIP，已飽和。

  • 覆核（TJJ-A09260400-26, 2026-09-26）：本 slice 文章 8c20569762592915（南加州教會槍擊案中央社報導） 正文再驗證——subject 連結為真實提及，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；含該文 wikilink 的日期事實條目已在庫 — SKIP，已飽和。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09251400-7, 2026-09-26）：slice 文章 8362234ba338aea7 正文再驗證——鄭達志醫師挺身而出防止悲劇擴大而壯烈犧牲確認見於正文，subject 連結為真，無錯鏈、無虛鏈；對應日期條目（已掛該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，已飽和。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09250900-1, 2026-09-26）：本 slice 文章 117bdbbd9b362236 正文再驗證——本傳主體即報導主角（挺身對峙兇嫌中彈身亡、獲誉英雄），subject 連結為真（無錯鏈、無虛鏈）；對應日期條目（已掛該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，無新材料。

  • 2022-05-16 — LA Times/CNA 綜合報導（TJJ轉載）確認其身分為 Laguna Niguel 52歲醫師、身後留下妻子與兩名孩子；與張宣信牧師、教友制伏兇嫌事蹟並載，橘郡檢察長 Spitzer 譽其「犧牲了自己，讓別人得以存活」（TJJ, 2022-05-16）。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09240400-4, 2026-09-25）：本 slice 文章 8c205697 正文再驗證——本傳主體即報導主角（挺身對峙中彈身亡、獲誉「英雄」），subject link 為真（無錯鏈、無虛鏈）；2022-05-16 條目（已掛該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，無新材料。

  • 2022-05-17 — 自由時報社論式評論（洪錦鈺執筆，TJJ轉載）記其於日內瓦長老教會槍擊案中「挺身而出，防止悲劇擴大」而壯烈犧牲，與張宣信牧師及教友制服兇手之事並敘（TJJ，2022-05-17）。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09240500-2, 2026-09-25）：本 slice 文章 117bdbbd9b362236 正文再驗證——本傳主體即報導主角（52歲鄭醫師挺身對峙兇嫌中彈身亡、獲誉英雄），subject link 為真（無錯鏈、無虛鏈）；2022-05-16 條目（已掛該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，無新材料。

  • 2022-05-16 — 中央社駐洛杉磯辦事處查證報導：其於南加州台裔教會槍擊案中挺身與凶嫌對峙、中彈身亡，獲橘郡警長與檢察長公開記者會推崇為「英雄」、譽其英勇行為拯救眾多生命；辦事處長黃敏境代表政府、外交部長吳釗燮、駐美代表蕭美琴向家屬表達哀悼，並查證凶嫌周文偉為 1953 年在台出生之移民（TJJ 轉載中央社, 2022-05-16）。

  • 複核（TJJ-A09240800-11, 2026-09-25）：本 slice 文章 8362234ba338aea7（南加州槍擊案的省思, 2022-05-17）正文再驗證——鄭達志醫師挺身而出防止悲劇擴大而壯烈犧牲之事蹟確認見於正文，subject link 為真（無錯鏈、無虛鏈）；2022-05-17 條目（已掛該文 wikilink）已在庫 — SKIP，無新材料。

  • 2022-05 — 告別式備極哀榮，My Stories #839 以「超級英雄」報導其喪禮（[[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/my-stories-839|My Stories #839, 05/2022]]）；同月 #836 記其於槍擊案中擋彈犧牲、「視病猶親」備受推崇（[[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/my-stories-836|My Stories #836, 05/2022]]）。

  • 2024-09 — 與 張宣信牧師 (Billy Chang) 同獲 Carnegie Hero Fund Commission 表彰（[[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/910-carnegie-hero-fund-commission-john-cheng-and-billy-chang-09-2024|Work #910, 09/2024]]）。

  • 2022-05-18 / 2022-06-23 — 聯邦眾議員朴銀珠於眾院發表講話悼念其英勇對抗槍手而犧牲，並提出法案追授國會金質獎章表彰捨身抵擋槍手的鄭達志醫師（TJJ, 2022-05-18；TJJ, 2022-06-23；2025-08 法案再提報導 TJJ, 2025-08-08）。

  • 2023-03-20 — 張宣信牧師為槍擊案編製中英文紀念冊，送台灣、台南、玉山神學院、台灣教授協會、總會歷史檔案館等典藏，盼台美人第二、三代「不致失去這一段歷史記憶」；並籲請牧長持續為鄭達志遺族代禱，稱「若沒有鄭醫師，那場槍擊案的傷亡恐怕難以想像」。紀念冊亦收花蓮門諾醫院前院長黃勝雄回憶錄（TJJ, 2023-03-20）。

  • 2022-05-16 — 張宣信牧師親筆寫下案發現場記述：目擊鄭醫師背部三處槍傷倒於台前；述及鄭家與教會長期淵源（堂叔鄭俊郎醫師為其 Venture 牧會時摯友、鄭俊曉醫師亦至交），並確認「年輕的 John Cheng 並不在我們教會」，當日係陪同喪夫憂鬱的母親前來——與本頁「not a member of the congregation」記述互證（TJJ, 2022-05-16；與 Our Journeys #380 口述同源，兒女年齡 HOLD 仍存）。

  • 張宣信牧師口述（[[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/our-journeys-380|Our Journeys #380]]）：鄭家與教會長期有淵源（鄭俊郎、鄭俊曉兩位醫師與牧者相熟）；鄭達志當日因母親久未聚會而陪同前往，非該會會友 — 與本頁「not a member of the congregation」記述一致。HOLD: 牧師口述稱其兒女「尚在讀初中」，與媒體報導「兒子將入讀 UCLA pre-med」衝突，未定年齡，不採信合併。

  • 同名警示：[[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/artist36-john-cheng|Work #36「鄭榮得 John Cheng」(2015)]] 為另一位同名人物（鄭榮得），非本傳主，未掛連結。

Timeline (from facts on this page)

  • 1969 — born in Taiwan; immigrated to the US with his parents at age one, grew up in a small town in East Texas
  • Medical degree, Texas Tech School of Medicine; residency and research training in family and sports medicine with UCLA and Kaiser
  • Joined South Coast Medical Group, Aliso Viejo — focus on nutrition and sports-medicine care; team physician for Aliso Niguel High School football (~400 student athletes examined)
  • Recognised in the 2023 TAHS Publication profile by 鄭炳全 for his wood carvings 「智者」 and 「富蘭克林」 (see attribution HOLD below)
  • 2022-02 (~3 months before) — father died; Zheng began accompanying his widowed mother to services
  • 2022-05-15 — killed at age 52 rushing the gunman at the Laguna Woods church shooting; survived by his wife and two children
  • 2022-05-16 — 張宣信牧師親筆記述案發現場，確認其非該會會友、當日陪同母親前往，並述鄭家與教會長期淵源（鄭俊郎／鄭俊曉兩位醫師）
  • 2022-05-18 — 聯邦眾議員朴銀珠於眾院講話悼念；2022-06-23 提出法案追授國會金質獎章（2025-08 再提）
  • 2022-05 — memorial service held with full community honors, reported as a 「超級英雄」 farewell ([[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/my-stories-839|My Stories #839, 05/2022]])
  • 2023-03-20 — 爾灣教會槍擊案中英文紀念冊編成典藏，張宣信牧師籲持續為鄭達志遺族代禱
  • 2024-09 — jointly honoured by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission with Billy Chang 張宣信 ([[works/taiwaneseamericanhistory-org/910-carnegie-hero-fund-commission-john-cheng-and-billy-chang-09-2024|Work #910, 09/2024]])

Source Notes and Confidence

  • Content priority A: 2023 TAHS Publication (profile, Section 1, ~649 lines), written by 鄭炳全
  • Hub: |2023 TAHS Publication
  • Archive: knowledge/web-archives/2023-tahs-publication-part1.md
  • Note: The profile includes details about his artistic work and community contributions.
  • Attribution conflict (HOLD): the same archive also carries a profile of |鄭炳全 as a self-taught woodcarver credited with 「富蘭克林」 and 「女神」 — unresolved overlap with the works credited here.

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