Sept. 9, 1947 — April 3, 2022
She was known by many names, each a significant piece of her long life — Kit, Shirley, Ma and Yin Yin.
Kit grew up in Hong Kong. She was a smart and happy kid who loved to climb trees. She described working at a young age with her first side hustle at 8 years old. She would go to the factories to get knitting/crochet work that she would bring home, finish and bring back to be paid by the piece. At 19, she taught math for a few years to first-sixth graders. She was always good with numbers.
She married Cheuck Eng in 1969, and with the help of her brother-in-law, they immigrated to the United States shortly after. That is when she was given her American name, Shirley. After working in the family restaurant, in Moscow, she and Cheuck were able to open Chang Sing in 1979 with Shirley’s brother. She was the heart and soul of Chang Sing restaurant for more than 30 years. Shirley loved to cook and loved seeing people gather. It brought her great joy to be a part of it. As her sons Morton and Morgon grew up, she became known by their friends as Ma. She loved that they stayed over at their house for extended visits (one even stayed a month in the summer). Ma would make platters of food for the boys to come eat during their high school lunch break. Chang Sing was an easy place to be, and Ma made it fun. While the boys came to eat, the girls just liked to spend time with them at the restaurant. A few ended up working with Ma and made lifelong, loving connections with her. It was so sweet to see her light up when she saw them. Ma’s cooking continued to bring in families and friends for celebrations, casual dining and nourishment after long (or short) bike rides.
At the end of 2004, she would gain one more name that brought her the most joy, Yin Yin. She loved being a grandma to Ryel and Deklyn. She endured school time with Ryel which included taking spelling tests, taught them unique crafts, and of course shared her cooking techniques. I think her favorite part about being Yin Yin was endless hugs though.
Ma retired and eventually relocated to central Oregon to be closer to her family. She loved going to the casinos with Cheuck and her sons and continued to be a key piece of their gatherings from Super Bowl, game nights and any excuse to cook a lot of food.
Whatever name you knew her by, we hope you will join us for her celebration of life. It will be at 1 p.m. June 25, at the Iron Wok, 2010 S. Main St., Moscow.
