Chunhong “Connie” Teng, 64, of Haslett, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 13, 2019. Her husband and daughter were at her side, as well as a loving health aide. She bravely battled ALS for nearly seven years before succumbing to the disease.
Chunhong was born on January 10, 1955, in Qingshangou, Liaoning Province, China, to Yutai Teng and Yonglan Sun. She graduated with a degree in English language teaching from Northeastern Technical University (Dong Bei Gong Xue Yuan) in Shenyang, China, and completed her doctorate degree in linguistics at the University of Kansas. She married Zhenggang “Richard” Wang on January 16, 1982.
Chunhong was a teacher. She was passionate about language teaching. She taught English at the university in China. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, she taught English to newly arrived immigrants and Chinese at the Tulsa Community College. In 2001, she began teaching Chinese at Michigan State University and taught there until her retirement in 2015. She led several study abroad trips to Tianjin, China, and relished in sharing Chinese culture and language with her students. She loved to see her students flourish and grow.
She was also an avid gardener. She enjoyed seeing her family crunch into cucumbers and tomatoes she coaxed from the ground. Chunhong loved to travel and see new places, whether it was the shores of Lake Michigan, the streets of Barcelona, or the islands of the Bahamas. She was an exercise aficionado, lover of walks, and a warm friend.
Most of all, Chunhong was a dedicated wife, mother, sister, and aunt. She was a doting grandmother to the end.
Chunhong is survived by her husband, children, Joy (Zachary) Wang and Justin Wang, her granddaughter Ava, sister Chunfeng Teng, four brothers, Yunqiao Teng, Yunlian Teng, Yunhai Teng, and Yunde Teng, five nephews, and three nieces.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother-in-law Defa Chen, and her nephew Honglei Teng.
A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2019, from 3-5 p.m. at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home East Lansing Chapel at 1730 E Grand River Ave, East Lansing, MI 48823.
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