Yu Shuan "Grace" Chang

Grace was born on January 4, 1927, in Teng County, Shandong Province, China. Over the next several decades, she witnessed significant turmoil in her home country, as she and her family lived through both the Japanese occupation and the Chinese Civil War. In 1949, Grace and her family fled to Taiwan, where she lived until immigrating to the United States in 1973.

A life-long student, Grace began studying English after her arrival in the U.S., eventually receiving a bachelor of arts and master's degrees from the University of Arizona. She published two English-language novels, both of which were loosely based on her own life growing up in China. But her real love was classical Chinese poetry and literature. Grace spent her life lovingly studying these subjects and continued to compose poems and rework passages until the end of her life. She also loved sharing her passion with her family, passing on the layered beauty and rich history of her heritage to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Fiercely intelligent, inquisitive, and resourceful, Grace inspired everyone who met her. There was no problem she could not solve, no barrier she could not break—her resiliency, tenacity, and independence set an enduring example to those who knew and loved her.

Grace was a devoted mother to her sons Li-Wen and Li-Hsin, a loving Nai Nai (grandmother in Chinese) to her grandchildren Simon, Amy, and Lily, and a doting Lao Nai Nai (great-grandmother) to her great-grandchildren Olivia, Margaret, Beatrice, and David. Her stories, her smile, and her laughter will be deeply missed by all of her family and friends.