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Meifang Yang of Chappaqua, 97, Beloved Mother & Grandmother, Respected Economist

Meifang Yang of Chappaqua died on Sunday, Dec. 13 at the age of 97. Born in Shanghai on January 19, 1923 to Zengyi Yang and Yuzhen Yang, she was the fourth of seven children. 

Meifang Yang was a selfless and devoted grandmother and mother,

Meifang Yang was a selfless and devoted grandmother and mother,

Photo Credit: Contributed by Stephie Shen
Meifang Yang moved to the United States in 1997.

Meifang Yang moved to the United States in 1997.

Photo Credit: Contributed by Stephie Shen

Meifang grew up in a well-educated family, learning English at a young age. She graduated from St. John’s University in Shanghai and went on to become a respected economist at the Bank of China for the large majority of her career. 

Even after her retirement, she was invited by other institutions like the Bank of Communications to serve as a professional advisor.

At her office cafeteria, she met kind and welcoming Hanzhang Huang, who accompanied her each day during their meals until they married in 1950. 

In 1960, Meifang gave birth to her daughter, Ying Huang. Meifang and Hanzhang shared an extraordinary and loving marriage until his untimely passing in 1996. 

In 1997, she moved to the United States to live with her daughter and son-in-law, where she helped take care of her two granddaughters. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.

Meifang was a resilient woman, who fearlessly overcame two battles with cancer, first with breast cancer in her 40s and then stomach cancer in her 90s. In 2014, she was featured in Estee Lauder’s Breast Cancer Awareness documentary, where she reflected on her experiences and was given the honor of ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

She was a selfless and devoted grandmother and mother, who enjoyed preparing meals for the family until her last few months and constantly strived to keep the home in tip-top shape. She was a curious and bright soul who enjoyed coloring, writing journals, and reading in her free time.

More than anything, Meifang loved the liveliness of being around her beloved family and friends.

This obituary was contributed by the family.

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