Hsiang Chen Chao

Hsiang Chen Chao, known to her family and those who knew her as Nainai or Momma, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 15, 2021, in Lawton, OK, surrounded by family. Hsiang was born on June 15, 1936, in Kiangsu, China, to Shi Chen and Huang Nong Chen. Her 85-year journey overflowed with family and friends, professional accomplishments, and long nights playing mahjong.

From a young age, Hsiang always dreamed of something bigger for her life and when she met her husband, Ping, they shared this same mindset. Together they were married for forty-seven years and their family quickly grew from two to six with the births of their children, Shu Ling, Chih Hua, Chih Cheng, and Shu Ju. Over time, they decided to chase after that American dream. In 1978, they emigrated from Taiwan and journeyed to Washington D.C. As they acclimated to life in the United States, they moved around for a while from Maryland and Texas, before settling down in Oklahoma in 1982. Hsiang and Ping owned several restaurants in the Lawton area with the opening of Hunan in 1982, China Wok Express in 1988, Panda House in 1993, Empress of China in 1994, and Wok N Roll in 2005. After Hsiang’s husband, Ping, passed in 2007, she and her family still to this day own China Wok Express and Wok N Roll.

When Hsiang wasn’t working at the restaurants, you could find her hitting the slot machines or traveling, she loved going on cruises! But her absolute favorite pastime was playing mahjong and boy, she could play all night if she had the opponents that could rise to the challenge.

Hsiang was many things to many people - a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She was a fiery and caring person, who instilled a hard work ethic to everyone she met, and her legacy will continue to be carried on by her family.

She is preceded in death by her father, Shi Chen; mother, Huang Nong (Jiang); husband, Ping Sung Chao and son-in-law, Zhen Shun Chen.

Hsiang is survived by her daughter, Shu Ling Hu of Pomona, CA; son, Chih Hua Chao of Lawton, OK; son, Chih Cheng Chao and wife, Donna, of Lawton, OK; daughter, Shu Ju Romero and husband, Fernando of Lawton, OK; and brother, Yongtai Jiang and wife, Amy, of Dallas, TX. She also leaves behind twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren to honor her memory.