Margaret Kwei Chang

Margaret Kwei Chang, 93, of La Jolla, California passed away peacefully in the early morning of Saturday, October 12, 2024. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother and auntie, Margaret will always be remembered for her vibrant and caring personality, wonderful story-telling, and love of singing.

Born on January 25, 1931 in Wuhan, China, Margaret grew up as the second daughter of Helen Pierson Kwei and Dr. Paul C.T. Kwei. She is survived by three of her siblings, Xiang Yun (Mary), Jia Nian (Victoria) and Xi En (William) who reside in China. Her sister Lu-Yin (Lois) and brother Chi-Peng (Arthur) preceded her in death. Margaret graduated from Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, New York and received her Master’s in Nursing from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Margaret married the love of her life, William S. C. Chang on November 26, 1955. They remained happily married until William passed away in 2015. Margaret leaves behind her three children, Helen, Hugh, and Hedy as well as seven grandchildren (Christopher, Matthew, Nicholas, Lan-Jian, Fei-Jian, Neil, and Nevin).

Margaret was most proud of her accomplishments as a nurse and as a professor of nursing for nearly 45 years. After starting her career at Roger Williams Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, Margaret worked in Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri and taught at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. For more than twenty years, she served as a clinical nurse specialist at the VA Hospital in La Jolla, California where she was known for her expertise in medical surgical nursing with a focus on urological and cross-cultural nursing. Margaret also was an early pioneer of on-line learning, offering distance learning nursing courses at National University. Her colleague, Angela Joseph, shares “Margaret was tenacious, always going above and beyond to get the answer to a question about medical or surgical care. She focused on solving problems and making care better for patients.”

Long after she retired, Margaret continued to use her skills and knowledge as a nurse to provide advice to friends and families. Fondly called “Nurse Chang,” Margaret was beloved and respected by the staff working at the Vi La Jolla where she lived.

A memorial service for family and friends will be held to celebrate Margaret’s life on January 25, 2025 (what would have been Margaret’s 94th birthday), details to be determined. If you would like to honor Margaret, please consider making donations, in lieu of flowers, to any of these three institutions close to her heart: Hobart and William Smith College, Yale School of Nursing, and the San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum.