Mabel Chang

Mabel (Chung-Hui) Chow Chang passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, N.Y., on February 28, 2026, at 103 years old. She attributed her longevity to an active social life, walking a lot, and being loved by family and friends.

Mabel was born on August 29,1922, in Beijing, China, and while still very young, moved with her family to Shanghai. There, Mabel attended the prestigious McTyeire School from second through sixth grades. After her father was appointed Mayor of Hangzhou in 1928, she enjoyed visiting him there in the summers. The family later moved to Hong Kong, where Mabel attended Diocesan and St. Stephen’s schools from seventh through twelfth grades.

The Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II was a time of great upheaval for the family, After the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1941, Mabel’s father and older brother escaped to Chongqing, the wartime capital of the Nationalist Chinese government. In August, 1942, Mabel arranged for herself, her blind mother and her four-year old brother to travel to Shanghai by boat. She became, in essence, the head of the household at quite a young age. In order to continue her education, however, Mabel had to leave Shanghai. In November, 1943, her father arranged for her to join a small group traveling on foot via Guilin to Chongqing. It was a an extremely dangerous journey through Japanese-occupied territory, but she arrived safely in Chongqing three and a half months later.

Mabel attended college in Chengdu and Chongqing, but wartime again made continuing her education difficult. In 1945, Mabel took a job as a secretary to U.S. Major General George Olmstead who was assigned to China. After the Sino-Japanese War ended, with General Olmstead’s help, Mabel returned to Shanghai, and with his sponsorship, she was accepted to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. In October, 1946, Mabel flew by private plane to the U.S. and began her studies there.

In 1947, Mabel began work in New York City first at McGraw-Hill, and then in August, she joined the Secretariat of the United Nations, when the international organization was just beginning in Lake Success, New York. It was in New York that her relationship with Hsing Chang blossomed following a courtship that had started in Shanghai. They married in June, 1948, and went on to have three daughters. Mabel and Hsing impressed upon their children a strong work ethic, the importance of education, and the value of family and friends.

At the U.N., Mabel started as a clerk in the Secretary General’s office, served as a Conference Officer for many years, and retired in 1979 as Chief of Planning and Meeting Services after 32 years of distinguished service. Mabel was known by all to be collegial and conscientious. She loved her work because it exposed her to different cultures, personalities and languages. She particularly enjoyed meeting dignitaries and celebrities from all over the world. Working at the U.N. also enabled Mabel to travel on home leave every other year to Taiwan, Hong Kong and, after 1972, the People’s Republic of China. She often added other countries to the itinerary and gave her daughters the opportunity to see and explore the world.

Mabel found her greatest joy surrounded by family and friends, whether through entertaining at home, playing mahjong, shopping, going on cruises, or enjoying Broadway shows and Engelbert Humperdinck concerts. Music was also a great joy in her life. She was known to happily sing karaoke when the opportunity presented itself, or sit down at any piano and start playing. A gifted pianist, she could listen to any melody and effortlessly translate it onto the piano keys, bringing the music to life. She also had a lifelong fondness for animals, especially dogs, having lived with them her entire life. She passed this love of animals, and so much more, on to her children and grandchildren,

Mabel was preceded in death by her father, Z.Y. Chow; her mother, Daisy Lee Chow; brothers, Paul Chow and Peter Chow; and her husband of over 40 years, Hsing Chang. She is survived by her three daughters, Lorraine Chang (Eric Pearson), Cyrena Chang Paulin (the late Steven Paulin) and Annette Chang; grandchildren, Scott Pearson (Jillian), Julia Farrell (Evan), Ben Vander (Kate Roche), and Jessica Vander (Ryan Villanueva); and great grandchildren, Charlie Pearson, Miles Pearson, Jacob Farrell, Elizabeth (Libby) Farrell, Charlotte Vander, and Mary Reese Vander. She is also survived by family members, Petrina Chow (Teh Doo), Jeanette Chow (Wilson Su) and Stephanie Qi (Ivan).

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mabel’s memory to UNICEF or the National Humane Society.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Frank E. Campbell on Saturday April 18th - friends and family are invited to gather at 10am with a service at 10:30am with a reception to follow from 11:30am - 1pm at Frank E. Campbell. Those who cannot attend in person are welcome to join us for the service through the livestream link below

https://memorialstream.online/mabel-chang/