Helen Chen Cheng passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025, at the age of 92. She was born on March 25, 1933, to Dr. Theodore and Wen-Hui Chen in Foochow, China. She moved to the United States as a young child and grew up in Los Angeles, California, where she became a lifelong USC Trojan supporter.

She attended Barnard College on an academic scholarship and graduated in 1954 with a BS degree in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. She worked as a computer programmer for the US Naval Academy and as a systems analyst at the Library of Congress. Helen previously worked as an engineer for Jet Propulsion and Sperry Rand Corporation. She fondly reminded us that she was programming long before colleges started offering this degree.

She raised her family in the Maryland/Northern Virginia area and relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in retirement.

She is survived by: Her husband of 70 years, Jesse Cheng, Three sons: Robert (Solange), David (Sandy), Michael (Nicole), Seven grandchildren: Ryan (Grace), Joshua (Jordan), Michelle, Colette, Anthony, Teddy, Jesse.

She was preceded in death by her younger sister, Ying.

In retirement, she loved reading, travelling, and playing bridge. With her husband, she took countless cruises around the world and attended bridge tournaments across the country, obtaining the rank of Diamond Life Master. On many cruises, she and Jesse ran the bridge games and were able to travel for free.

Helen and her husband also founded the Bowie Bridge Club in the mid-1960s and ran the games for several years. She usually read two to three books per week. During the pandemic, she read every John Grisham novel.

She cherished her time with her family. During holidays and special events, her boys and their families would travel to visit, and she hosted large family gatherings. She would play bridge and tell stories late into the night. She will be remembered for her joyous presence—always happy, smiling, and never having a bad day in her life.

Service Information:
A service will be held on January 31st at 4:00 p.m.
Prestwick Country Club
1001 Links Rd, Myrtle Beach

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

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