He was born Ling Hen-Li, April 17, 1921, in Changzhou, China, to Ling Sheng-Shung and Ho-Shih. He earned a scholarship to the Colorado School of Mines in 1948. In 1950, he finished his Master's Degree in Mining and Metallurgy and was granted asylum in the U.S. because of the Communist takeover in China. He was naturalized in 1955.
After graduation, his love letters to Lee Pei-Oh, a woman in Hong Kong, convinced her to join him in California. They were married May 5, 1953. Pei-Oh chose the name Jane Lee Ling for her American identity.
Henry worked as a mining engineer until the mid-1980s, when he retired early and focused on managing his investments in real estate and equities. In the mid-1990s, he devoted himself to caring for Jane, who suffered from a lengthy illness. She died June 2, 2000. Her death devastated Henry, but his dogged determination helped him survive almost 18 more years.
He is survived by two daughters and a son; Janet (James) Jensen, Bel Air, MD; June (Rod) Sanders, Long Beach, CA; Ben (Jeanette) Ling, Park City, UT; two grandchildren, Sarah Jensen and Bryce Ling; and three sisters.
Following Henry's wishes, the family will hold a private burial service at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the National Capital Lyme Disease Association, The Natural Resources Defense Council, or the Southern Poverty Law Center.
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