Meifang Zheng

Meifang Zheng passed away peacefully at the age of 88 in his home in McLean, Virginia, on March 29th, 2023 from gallbladder cancer. His last weeks of life were spent chatting with family members, reading his memoirs, and watching home videos. Meifang was born on January 20th, 1935, in Jianli, Hubei, China, to parents Chuanzhen Huang and Changdi Zheng. He was the beloved husband of Zhihua Ding (deceased 2004) and eldest brother of Xiafang (deceased 2021) and Zhongfang. He is survived by his two sons, Kangbin and Kangsen, as well as his five grandchildren, Crystal, Franklin, Victor, Kaijie, and Albert. Ye Ye, as he was better known to family and friends, was a devoted grandfather, taking great pride in his grandchildren’s accomplishments and loving them immensely.

Meifang grew up amidst the gunfire of the Second World War and China's civil war. In the face of countless adversities, his persistence and resilience enabled him to support his large family after his mother was widowed at a young age. Despite only completing four years of formal schooling due to the chaos of war, he taught himself to become a respected accountant and achieved a successful career in the banking and taxation sectors.

At 57, Meifang moved to Fairfax to care for his grandchildren while working part-time as a chef and janitor. Although he did not speak English, he had an extraordinary ability to communicate with anyone without even sharing a common language. He charmed his coworkers, neighbors, and friends with his strong sense of trustworthiness, earnestness, and humor. He enjoyed cooking incredible dishes, playing games with friends and relatives, and volunteering at his senior residence. His life became more colorful after he celebrated his 80th birthday and finally retired. Being passionate about history, geography, and world affairs, he visited more than 20 countries with his grandchildren and wrote over 800 pages of travel notes. One of his proudest achievements was becoming a naturalized US citizen and voting in presidential elections.

Meifang Zheng will be deeply remembered for many decades to come. His unconditional love for his family will never be forgotten and is an inspiration to all who knew him. Our Ye Ye will live on forever in our hearts.

To honor Meifang's life and legacy, a funeral service will be held at the National Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Livestream is available for those who would like to participate remotely. Relevant information can be found at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/falls-church-va/meifang-zheng-11228202.

Meifang loved nature and the environment. In lieu of flowers, the Zheng family prefers and welcomes modest contributions from friends towards installing a permanent memorial bench in a local park. Donations for such a memorial bench can be made through Venmo (@Franklin-Zheng-2) or Paypal ([email protected]).

郑 梅 芳 讣 告

郑梅芳老先生于2023年3月29日因胆囊癌医治无效，在弗吉尼亚州麦克岭家中寿终正寝，驾鹤西去，享年88岁。他生命最后一程走得平静坦然。他和家人相互陪伴，一起从阅读自撰回忆录和观看家庭录像带中寻觅回味以往的欢声笑语。子孙绕膝，宾朋满座，医护随身。梅芳老人于1935年1月20日出生于湖北省监利县，是黄传珍和郑昌棣的长子、霞芳(故于2021年)和仲芳的长兄。他和爱妻丁志华(故于2004年)相濡以沫，彼此扶持，共同打造了一个温馨大家庭，在美洲大陆生根开花结果。他身后留下了康彬和康森两个儿子，以及凯晶、凯兴、凯成、凯杰和凯华五个孙子。他被亲朋好友亲切地称为“爷爷”，心怀家国，亲切慈祥，时刻为孙辈们的茁壮成长欣慰自豪。

梅芳老人成长于战火纷飞的年代，幼年时流离失所，寄人篱下。面对无数逆境，他坚忍不拔，克勤克俭，协助寡母抚养弟妹。尽管在战乱中他只完成了短短四年学业，但他奋发自强，刻苦自学，日积月累，终于成为高级会计师，在银行税务部门工作多年，备受尊敬。梅芳老人57岁时漂洋过海，移居北维。在照顾孙辈的同时，他还在餐馆和老年活动中心兼任厨师和清洁工。虽然不谙英语，但他有非凡的交流能力，可以用手势和表情与任何人沟通，甚至无需额外的共同语言。他诚恳热忱、认真细致、幽默和蔼，在日常相处中赢得了许多同事、邻居和朋友们的赞许和友情。他生活简朴规律，每日坚持锻炼，喜欢读书看报、探亲访友、烹饪美食、游戏消遣。在庆祝80岁生日后，他的生活变得更加丰富多彩。他热爱历史地理，关心天下大事，与孙辈们一起游览了20多个国家，写下了800多页的旅行笔记。入籍后，他积极参与选举投票，时常参加义工服务，尽心支持社区建设。

梅芳老人与世长辞了，但“爷爷”的音容笑貌将永远铭刻在我们心中，弥久益新。他对家人无私的爱将延绵不绝，激励所有后生晚辈。梅芳老人葬礼将于2023年5月6日(星期六)上午9:30至11:30在弗吉尼亚州瀑布教堂国家殡仪馆和纪念公园举行，同时为远程参加者提供网络直播。详细信息请查阅 https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/falls-church-va/meifang-zheng-11228202。

梅芳老人崇尚自然、热爱花草。丧葬期间亲友请勿寄送花圈花篮。郑家计划在本地公园安装永久纪念长椅，长托哀思。对亲友小量捐助，家人深表感激。捐款请用Venmo (@Franklin-Zheng-2) 或Paypal ([email protected]) 送达。