TaiHen Cindy Young

Cindy was born on July 6, 1956, in Taipei, Taiwan. She was the youngest of four children. Her father Yun-Pu Wang and her mother Ching-Kuei Lee were from the Chinese provinces of Hebei and Hunan.

Cindy grew up in humble conditions in a military housing village in Taipei. Cindy was tough, sharp, and worked hard – very little held her back. She attended the Taipei First Girls' High School, one of the most prestigious high schools in Taiwan. She then attended National Taiwan University, the top university in Taiwan. After graduating and leaving Taiwan, Cindy remained active in both schools’ alumni networks, not only attending their events but also traveling with them and virtually connecting with them regularly. Her friends in both alumni networks were very important to her.

During her first year of university, Cindy met Jerry Young. They met on the university volleyball courts and rode the same bus from their housing villages. According to Jerry, Cindy was interested in him instantly, and when Cindy wanted something, she got it. Cindy was Jerry’s first and only girlfriend, and he was her first and only boyfriend. They married four years later in Taipei on August 8, 1980. Soon after getting married, they left Taiwan together for the United States.

Cindy and Jerry first moved to Los Angeles, California, where Jerry attended graduate school. Then, in 1982, they moved to Dallas, Texas. Cindy attended the University of Texas at Dallas, from which she graduated with a Masters in Accounting in 1984. In 1985, Cindy and Jerry moved to Houston, Texas. There, Cindy worked as an oil and gas accountant until 1994 when she made the fortunate decision to focus on her family and other interests.

Houston became their home. In Houston, Cindy started a family and raised two children with Jerry. Cindy also formed friendships that lasted the rest of her life. While Cindy had no family in the United States, she found family here in the form of her close friend groups. “Friday Group” was the first of such families. Every Friday night and every holiday, Cindy, Jerry, and their children came together with the Friday Group families in their homes. This happened every Friday night for decades. Cindy also organized and regularly hosted her “Book Club,” “Wine Club,” and “Line Dance Groups.” The Friday Group family, as well as her Clubs and Groups, were so special to Cindy and her family, and continue to be to this day.

A decisive master planner, Cindy was always busy and active with her family and friends, her travels, and her hobbies. Cindy and Jerry travelled all over the world, as planned by Cindy, including to Patagonia, Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls, Iceland, Dolomites, the Swiss Alps, the Norwegian Fjords, Angkor Wat, and New Zealand. Her favorite and oft-visited locale was Banff and the Canadian Rockies. She preferred hard-to-reach and breathtaking national parks and landscapes (often accompanied by long hikes) over traditional destinations. In her later years, Cindy discovered line dancing, which she practiced daily and for which she travelled around the country. She was also an avid pickleball player and was, according to her, better than her pickleball partner, Jerry.

Most of all, Cindy loved and doted on her family (but not without providing needed constructive criticism every now and then). Her family loved her so much in return. She was the heart, grit, and backbone for her husband Jerry and her children, Geraldine and Brian – who are now grown and grateful products of Cindy’s love and devotion. In particular and in the last eight years, Cindy was an unwaveringly devoted and wonderful grandmother to her three grandchildren, Kennedy, Pearce, and Vera. She cared for them, fed them delicious Chinese food, and poured her love into them. Cindy was her grandchildren’s home away from home, hosting them every weekend for play, pool, and sleepovers. Cindy is also survived by her children’s significant others (son-in-law John and Melissa), her siblings, her husband’s siblings, and her nieces and nephews. She will be sorely missed by all.

Cindy, decisive until the end, requested no visitation or funeral services. Instead, reflective of her spirit and love of life, her family will host a celebration of her life in Houston in the coming months, with details to follow.