In Memory of Helen Cheng

Helen Cheng, 92, passed away peacefully on December 31st, 2025 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Helen was born March 25, 1933 in Fozhou, China. Her father, Theodore Chen, was the president of a prominent Christian university and left China while she was young to escape the persecution of intellectuals during the Mao revolution. Their small family landed in Los Angeles, California, where her father taught Asian Studies at the University of Southern California and became the first Asian professor on the west coast. Helen was rather bright, a straight A student and won a full scholarship at Barnard University to study mathematics. She moved to the east coast and met her husband, Jesse Cheng, studying for his MBA at NYU.

They married in 1955, had two rambunctious children and moved to Maryland. Helen stayed home while Jesse became a statistician for the federal government. Helen had one more child, raised her children in the church and made them learn judo. She founded and organized the Bowie Bridge Club, and later won the women’s national championship. Whip smart and hard working, she excelled in programming mainframes in the US Naval Academy and the Library of Congress, one of the few females in a male dominated field. In retirement, she traveled the world playing competitive bridge, organizing bridge events on cruise ships, and managing her rental properties.

Helen has led a unique and remarkable life full of accomplishment, love and family. Helen was an avid reader. During the pandemic, she read every John Grisham novel.

Helen is survived by Jesse Cheng, her husband of 70 years; sons, Robert; David, and Michael; and grandchildren; Ryan, Joshua, Anthony, Michelle, Collete, Theodore, and Jesse.

A memorial service will be held in Myrtle Beach, SC at Prestwick Country Club, 1001 Links Road on January 31, 2026 at 4:00 pm.

This was not generated by AI.