He was an outstanding technical talent, having contributed to the birth of such fighter jets as the J-8, J-11 and the latest J-15.

He was a reform-minded entrepreneur and manager, at whose hands the once-struggling Shenyang Aircraft Corp saw an average 34 percent annual growth in profits.

He was an amicable colleague, considerate friend and accessible leader to all who worked with him, and an avid fan of volleyball and Chinese chess.

But first of all he was a hard worker throughout his 30-year career in the aviation industry, until a heart attack stopped him on Sunday after his last phone call home in which he reported the completion of his latest, and last, mission - the successful maiden landings of the J-15 aboard the nation's first aircraft carrier.

Luo Yang, on-site director-in-chief of the widely anticipated J-15, chairman and general manager of the Shenyang Aircraft Corp, left behind him a proud milestone in the histories of the Chinese navy and aviation industry. He spent his last seven days and nights aboard the Liaoning, preparing for that eye-catching landing of the carrier-borne J-15.

The tragic loss of Luo is not only his family's and his firm's, but, just as Communist Party of China General Secretary Xi Jinping said in his personal condolence message, the country's.

The deep sorrow Luo's death has triggered across the country, from the national leadership to the man on the street, surely has to do with his association with the nation's longing for stronger national defense - to which Luo dedicated his life.

But the sorrow of the crowds at Luo's memorial on Thursday in Shenyang was at the same time a tribute to his diligence and down-to-earth style. With that, Luo distinguished himself from those slogan shouters.

Luo as a diligent leader showcased some of the finest personal qualities our time calls for and the public expect of their leaders.

Just like many of his hardworking colleagues, Luo might have remained a permanent anonymous hero beyond the limelight were it not for his unexpected passing away at such a historic moment.

Let us salute Luo and all those who have worked in anonymity for the country's and people's good.

(China Daily 11/30/2012 page8)