Serena Wang

She was born on May 4th, 1939, in Nanking, China and lived in several cities in China, ultimately settling in Hong Kong where most of her extended family still resides. An exceptional student throughout her schooling, Serena attended the prestigious National Taiwan University and later came to the United States to attend graduate school in pharmacy.

After living in Michigan and Wisconsin, she eventually settled permanently in North Carolina where she worked as a pharmacist first at Duke University and later at John Umstead Hospital.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Byron Cole and his three sons, Jeffrey, Barry, and Jonathan; her former husband, Dr. Ching Muh Wang and their son, Dr. Brian (Leslie) Wang and three grandchildren, Olivia, Evelyn and Max; her brother, Mr. Si Hung Ha of Hong Kong, China and sister, Mrs. Si Kee Ha of New York City, New York and nieces, Regina, Charlotte and Rosilin.

She is preceded in death by her father, Ha Chan Wah, her mother, Chan Sze Yin, and her stepson Timothy Cole.

Serena had a deep appreciation for beautiful things and was a talented artist. She particularly enjoyed painting in watercolor, acrylic and other mediums. She was always thinking of others and found joy in giving gifts, taking the time to seek out just the right item for a friend, neighbor or family member.

Serena was an accomplished home chef who spoiled her family with delicious meals – her curry chicken, fried okra and handmade dumplings were favorites. Later in life she took time off from the kitchen and was excited to try new restaurants and to introduce friends and family to her favorite places and dishes. In her retirement, Serena and Byron prioritized travel, going on several adventures that spanned a variety of continents. On these trips, Serena eagerly explored the local art, history and cuisine and brought everything she learned back to share with her family.

Most of all, she loved children. She’d often spot an exceptionally cute young child at a restaurant and take the time to compliment his mother and sometimes even ask if she might pinch his cheek. Her favorite children, of course, were her precious grandchildren, her treasures, whom she spoke with often and traveled to visit frequently, always bringing a suitcase full of gifts and her absolute delight to be with them again. In between visits, their “Nai Nai” sent Olivia, Evelyn and Max interesting news articles and encouragements to develop their talents.

A memorial service will be held 3:00PM Saturday, August 14, 2021 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary.

In honor of her love for children, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a nonprofit organization she was proud to support. https://www.stjude.org/