Jane Juinn Sung

Jane Juinn Ting Sung, age 91, died in Durham, North Carolina on May 1, 2021. She was the daughter of the late Er Yu Ting and Ming Shuen Sun.

Jane’s birthplace was the city of Longkou, Huangxian County, in the Shandong province of China. Her idyllic, highly-privileged, sheltered, early childhood world was shattered when her hometown was bombed at the onset of the Sino-Japanese War. When the commanding Japanese officer took over their ancestral home, the family refused to become collaborators: her father joined the resistance, and she with her mother and siblings became refugees, repeatedly fleeing the advancing army over the course of the next twelve years. In one of the cities where they temporarily settled, she and her brother benefited from the presence and ministry of missionaries when they attended a Christian school. In the civil war that ensued after defeating Japan in World War II, as the Communist forces gained ascendancy over the Nationalist army, against great odds, her family narrowly escaped to Taiwan.

Jane married Fu-Tien Sung (with whom she shared a love for Western literature and classical music, and a vision of coming to the U.S. for graduate school) in 1954, gave birth to their daughter Daphne in 1955, and graduated from Taiwan Normal University with a B.A. in education in 1956. Prevented by immigration restrictions from accompanying her husband when he began his master’s program at the University of Colorado, she remained in Kaohsiung, working as a schoolteacher, raising Daphne, applying to master’s programs at U.S. universities, and studying for the rigorous annual immigration exams administered by both the Taiwan and the U.S governments.

Jane rejoined her husband in Baltimore in 1959, and began her master’s program in English Literature and Education at the University of Iowa, where he taught. During her coursework, Daphne became eligible for a visa and joined them, and Lisa, Felix, and Grant also were born.

After graduating with her M.A. in 1966, Jane poured herself fully into being a devoted wife, mother, full-time home-maker, and active member of the community, during which time the family moved from Waverly, IA, to Waynesboro, PA. Gradually she resumed her vocation as an educator: in 1972, she co-founded the Waynesboro Day Care Center for the preschool children of working mothers; took courses to gain certification to teach in the PA public schools; and then became a substitute teacher in the Waynesboro Area School District. Soon afterwards, she was hired as the first non-white, foreign-born, full-time English teacher in the Greencastle-Antrim School District, where she retired after twenty years of service (1975-1996).

In retirement, Jane and Fu-Tien moved to Durham, NC, in 1999, where they actively participated in their grandchildren’s upbringing and in various aspects of congregational life at Church of the Good Shepherd and Chinese Christian Mission Church.

Jane was an open-minded, compassionate, generous, ever-inquisitive, life-long learner with a quiet but irrepressible joie de vivre. She gave her life to Christ as an adult, and was an avid student of the Bible as well as a lover of literature. She was a wonderful cook; for us, no restaurant versions could compare with her made-from-scratch jiaozi, won-tons, egg-rolls, zhajiang mian, and baozi. She greatly relished time spent with friends and family, and exploring other cultures and cuisines, the outdoors, classical music concerts, and gardening. She enthusiastically participated in the Women’s Bible Study ministry at Church of the Good Shepherd and a small group Bible study at Chinese Christian Mission Church.

Jane is survived by her children, Daphne Sung Kelsall (Ben); Elizabeth Sung; Felix Sung; and Grant Sung (Nancy); and by her grandchildren, Sarah Kelsall Simkin (Leo); Sheryl Kelsall; Andrew Sung; and Kaela Sung. Jane was preceded in death by her husband, Fu-Tien Sung; her brother, David Ting; and her sister, Judy Ting Mah.

The memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 8, at 11:00 AM, at Church of the Good Shepherd, 3741 Garrett Road, Durham, NC, 27705.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Church of the Good Shepherd (Durham) Facility Fund or the Missions Fund, and Chinese Christian Mission Church (Durham).

The Sung family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences: www.hallwynne.com – select obituaries.