Besides his many efforts on the peacemaking front, he was also a leader in interfaith efforts. "He was always thinking of new ways of getting members of different religions together," Adams said.

A member of the Interfaith Open Table, Chang made a number of close friends there from a variety of religions, from fellow Christian to Jewish to Buddhist to Muslim. He also started the Hawai'i chapter of Habitat for Humanity in 1988.

"Hawai'i and the world lost a committed warrior for religious understanding," said Ken Harding, a deacon at Central Union Church, where Chang served in a leadership capacity, including former deacon.

Chang was born in Shanghai, China, and moved to the United States for graduate school in 1947 at age 20, studying civil engineering. There he met his wife-to-be, Ruth, a fellow student. "We both spoke the Shanghai dialect and were both third-generation Christians — a rarity," said Ruth Chang, who was with her husband in California for possible treatment of cardiovascular disease when he died.

Chang founded and served as president of Humanity United Globally, a nonprofit he endowed to promote international youth concerts and information events, such as the Waging Peace conference at the State Capitol in 2002.

He also founded the World Vision Youth Ambassadors program, which brought 50 youths from 50 different countries together for training and study.

He was a former vice president of the East-West Center and local coordinator of the Cooperation Circles for Peace for the United Religious Initiative.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth; daughters, Dr. Helena Chui, Elaine Fudenna and Betsy King; son, Clifford Chang; and four grandchildren.