Grace Yu

Grace was born in Taiwan on Nov. 7, 1958 to a God-loving, piano-playing household. Her father 蕭文輝 and mother 潘碧愛 raised five children (Grace was the second-oldest). After elementary school, Grace attended a Catholic junior high school and then in high school studied accounting, which was rare for a girl back then. After that she worked for a bank in Taiwan and excelled at counting bills quickly, as there were no ATM machines at the time. After her marriage to Gordon Yu, she moved to the U.S., where she raised two children, Raymond and Annie. She spent the last three decades of her life spreading deep roots in Fremont, CA.

Grace was the definition of joy and generosity, with an infectious laugh, an enthusiasm for simple things in life and a refined taste in fashion and excellent food. She was compassionate and empathetic, and she loved to learn. While she never went to an undergraduate college, in 2016 and 2017 she obtained master’s degrees from Harvest Seminary – one in Christian Studies and the other in family ministry in counseling.

While Grace previously worked in teaching and accounting, her real life’s mission was in evangelizing and helping others in the name of the Lord. Her faith guided every aspect of her life – especially during hard times, including her divorce and the sudden death of her son when he was 19 due to a car accident. Throughout everything, she remained joyful and focused on trusting the Lord and sharing the gospel. Even during the last four months of her life, after Grace was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and going through chemotherapy and radiation, she led two people to Christ.

Grace leaves behind her 29-year-old daughter Annie, a journalist in Washington, D.C.; three beloved siblings in Taiwan (蕭恩信, 蕭淑芬, 蕭淑娜); relatives and close friends across both countries; and a legacy of dozens – likely hundreds – of people who now know Jesus because of her.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

– 2 Timothy 4:7-8

To contact Grace’s daughter Annie, please email her at [email protected].