Ruyu Wang

Ruyu Tang Wang or Tang Yu Yu (唐育玉) , also known as Tang Yu (唐玉) , passed away on July 16, 2025, at the age of 88.

She was born on April 12, 1937, in Guangdong (Canton), China, the eldest birth daughter in a family of eight siblings. In 1950, her family fled to Taiwan following the Communist takeover, where she continued her education while also helping to care for her younger siblings and worked to contribute to the family’s finances.

Ruyu earned a degree in Business Administration from Ming Chuan University in Taipei and began a career in education, teaching at an Air Force orphanage, a secondary school, and later returning to her alma mater as an Assistant Professor.

A devoted volunteer at a local Buddhist temple, she met the love of her life, Ping-cheng Wang, while he awaited his student visa to Japan. Their bond endured through a long-distance relationship of love letters, and fate would have them reunited and married in Tokyo after she was accepted into a graduate program at Meiji University. Together, they immigrated to the United States when Ping was admitted to The George Washington University as a PhD candidate in International Relations.

Ruyu transitioned into a long and impactful career in computer science and information technology. She began at Consultants and Designers, Inc. in Greenbelt, MD, as an operations analyst and programmer providing software and data services for the National Space Science Data Center. She began working at the Computer Sciences Corporation in 1977 where over the next three decades she supported numerous manned and unmanned space missions for NASA, including the Apollo program, the Space Shuttle missions (Columbia, Challenger, Discovery), and the Hubble Space Telescope. Later in her career, she worked on a contract with the IRS, providing IT services on a major systems overall until she retired in 2012.

Beyond her professional achievements, Ruyu had a lifelong passion for traditional Chinese painting, particularly in the styles of shan shui hua (山水畫, or “mountain-water painting”), capturing expressive landscapes infused with harmony and serenity. Her artistic repertoire also included finely detailed depictions of animals, fish, birds, flowering plants, mountains and bamboo, as well as daily life and festive celebrations. Her brushwork reflected both discipline and imagination, drawing from classical techniques while also exploring vibrant color palettes and expressive compositions. She also enjoyed Chinese calligraphy which she learned at an early age from her father.

Later in life, Ruyu embraced oil and acrylic painting with the same dedication she brought to her traditional brushwork, using these mediums to explore new textures, subjects, and vibrant expressions of color. She had a remarkable green thumb and a deep affection for growing plants—from flowers and bamboo to jade trees and bonsai.

She also loved to play table tennis, a passion she passed on to her children and grandchildren with great enthusiasm and skill. Even into her late 80s, she played regularly with friends at the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center in New York—continuing well into this year.

She was a bright, vibrant presence—feisty and gentle, social and warm, always deeply connected to her friends and community. Her love, creativity, and joy in life were apparent to all who knew her.

Ruyu is survived by her children, Yen-hsing Nancy Wang (Jeff Mignon) and Yen-wei Dave Wang (Alice Lee); her niece Yanxin Wang (Wanmin Xin) and their daughter Xinxin (Mark); and her beloved grandchildren Avery, Oliver, Ines, Hugo, and Elliot. She is also survived by her younger brother Tang Kuan-Chien, her younger sister Tang Tai-Ying, extended family, and many friends around the world.

Relatives and friends are invited to gather at Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville, P.A. , 12540 Clarksville Pike (Route 108), Clarksville, MD 21029, on Sunday, August 3, 2025 , from 9:00–9:30 am , with a funeral service at 9:30 am and will be livestreamed HERE .

She lived fully, actively, and with an open heart—she will be dearly missed.

To send flowers to the funeral home, please directly call Lulu Florist in Bethesda, (301) 907-4600.

To plant a tree in memory of Ruyu Tang Wang.

To make a donation to the Cancer Research Institute .

Cancer Research Institute
29 Broadway, Floor 4?, New York NY 10006-3111
Tel: 1-800-992-2623
Email: info@cancerresearch.org
Web: https://www.cancerresearch.org/