In Loving Memory Yuen Wan Shing

1945 - 2026

Dr. Yuen Wan Shing, 81, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones. A cherished and devoted husband, father, brother, colleague, and friend, he will be deeply missed.

Born in 1945 in China, to the late Sub Fu Shing and Sin Wan Young, Yuen enjoyed a lively and loving childhood as the third of seven children. He later immigrated to the United States to pursue his education at University of Kansas, where he earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1974.

Dr. Shing went on to become a prominent research scientist at Harvard Medical School, dedicating his career to the fields of cancer research and angiogenesis. Working closely alongside pioneers like Dr. Judah Folkman, the “father of angiogenesis,” Yuen’s widely cited research made fundamental contributions to early oncology and vascular biology. A testament to his impact, Dr. Folkman wrote to Yuen, “I have the greatest admiration for your many scientific contributions, without which, the new class of antiangiogenesis drugs would not exist today.”

Beyond his brilliant mind, and tireless work ethic, Yuen was known for his insatiable love for cheesecake, chocolate, and power naps. In his youth, he was a formidable champion at table tennis and Chinese checkers. Though he faced a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, he navigated his journey bravely with the same humor, dry wit, incredible intelligence, and generous spirit that defined his entire life.

Yuen 成元雲 is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Helen 侯雄楓; his daughters, Loretta 成 思寧, and Angela 成思芸 and her spouse Sang; and his six siblings, Shing Cheung-Chui 成章翠 and husband Liang Kee-Yu 梁圻愈, Lee Chen Chang-Chin 成章琴, Yuen-Hing (Henry) Shing 成 元興and wife Noreen 岑婉儀, Yuen-Lung (Larry) Sing 成元龍and wife Annlie 陳安麗, Yuen-Wah Sing 成元華and wife Julia 周嘉平, Cheung-Ying (Karen) Lin 成章瑛and husband James 林柱中. He also leaves behind 15 beloved nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Yuen’s life will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Spangler Funeral Home, located at 399 S San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, California. The gathering will begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by a memorial program at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served afterward. For those unable to attend in person, the Celebration of Yuen's Life will be livestreamed via the following link:  Yuen Shing Funeral Stream

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Dr. Yuen Shing’s memory to the Folkman Angiogenesis Research Fund 94067-01 at Boston Children’s Hospital, which continues the research he devoted his career to, or to the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s.

• Boston Children’s Hospital Trust: bostonchildrens.org/giveinmemory

• Davis Phinney Foundation: https://tinyurl.com/drshing-pd

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in thehouse of the LORD forever.” — Psalm 23:6