Zhiying Yuan, 74, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2017 at home in Jamesville, NY. Growing up in Shanghai China, she went to Hefei, Anhui at the age of 16 and raised her family there until 2000 when she and her husband moved back to Shanghai. A fiercely loyal mother and grandmother, she has been the rock of her family throughout her adult life.

Surviving are her husband of 50 years, Linsheng Chen; brothers, Dongxing and Haisheng; sister, Zhifeng; daughter, Min Chen; son, Biao Chen; and grandchildren Aaron, David, Hannah (Yufan), and Nathan.

She has donated her brain and spinal cord to Massachusetts General Hospital for ALS research. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations can be made to either the ALS Association (http://www.alsa.org), St. Joseph's Hospital (https://www.sjhsyr.org), or Hospice of CNY (www.hospicecny.org).