Yu Tsung Woo's Obituary
Yu Tsung Woo was born on June 17, 1922 in Suzhou, China, to Christian parents who held traditional Chinese values. They taught American missionaries Chinese and her father, Cheng Xiaoqing, taught Chinese literature to undergraduates at the American Methodist University there. He became a well-known writer of Western detective fiction and was known as the "Sherlock Holmes" of China. He shared his love of writing with Yu Tsung who worked as a journalist and writer in Shanghai after World War II and later became an undergraduate of the university in Suzhou. In February, 1948, Yu Tsung came to New York City to enroll in a Master's degree program in English Literature at Columbia University, and work for Chin Fu Woo as a writer for his Chinese language magazine. As a journalist she had come in contact with Chin Fu Woo of NYC who was looking for contributing writers for his fledgling magazine. A correspondence and romance developed between them so it was understood they might marry after they met in NYC. She was the only one of her family to come to the United States, to escape the upheaval and persecution of the Chinese Communists and to build a life of her own in NY. Yu Tsung always offered thanks to God for her journey saying "God leads me and he always takes care of me."
Three and a half months after arriving in NYC, Yu Tsung and Chin Fu were married.
Almost two years later they experienced the birth of their first child, Lily. Yu Tsung then made the difficult decision to withdraw from her Columbia graduate program and work full time side-by-side with her husband. Then almost two years later their second daughter, Rose was born along with their daily newspaper, The United Journal. Their goal with the paper was to keep alive the dream of a democratic China no matter how long it might take.
Yu Tsung was a devoted wife, mother and friend who loved reading books, tutored, sewed custom dresses, knit sweaters and hats, and organized the family for vacation every summer. Her faith continued to be central to her life, where she supported missions in China, tithed, took the girls to Sunday school and sent them to Bible camp.
Her husband Chin Fu died in 2003 and she continued to live in Queens, NYC. In March, 2020 she relocated to live with her daughter Lily and her husband Michael in Medford, NJ and stayed there until her death, March 15, 2024. She is survived by her daughters, their husbands Michael and John, and her much loved granddaughter, Natalie. A Memorial Service celebrating her life will be held at Easton Bible Church in early April.
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