Obituary of Jianmei Zheng

WESTPORT, CONN Jianmei "Jamie" Zheng, 61, beloved wife and mother, passed away on June 14, 2024 at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT, with her family by her side, after a courageous battle with lymphoma. Jamie was born on May 16, 1963 in China. After she and her husband, Ping Zhou, married in 1986, Jamie emigrated to Illinois in 1988, and attained an M.S. in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Together, Ping and Jamie-and eventually, their two daughters-moved to several states on the East Coast, eventually settling in Westport, CT where they have happily remained for the last eighteen years. A deeply devoted wife and loving mother, Jamie was a lifelong enthusiast of music and the arts. As a young girl, she loved to perform traditional Chinese dance onstage, and over years of supervising her daughters' studies in piano, violin, and art, she developed a great love for classical music and opera. Jamie and Ping have been season subscribers to the Metropolitan Opera House for seventeen years, and this appreciation for music and art played a key role in their travels to many destinations worldwide: she cultivated her knowledge of opera greats during tours of Vienna, Munich, and Salzburg; she eagerly visited the works of masters like Gaudí, da Vinci, and Picasso in cities and museums across Europe; she was awed by the great ancient architectural wonders of the world in Egypt and Greece. Wherever her travels took her, she delighted in local cuisines and sights. Closer to home, Jamie frequented local art and performance venues, including at MoCA CT, the Westport Country Playhouse, Westport Community Theatre, the Music Theatre of Connecticut, Fairfield University's Quick Center, and the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, instilling in her family a love for art and music that lives on today. In her downtime, Jamie practiced yoga and was an avid reader and a founding member of her book club. In recent years, she and Ping enjoyed many a scenic walk on Sherwood Island, a source of profound happiness, relaxation, and fond memories of beautiful sunsets. Her greatest joy, however, came from spending time with her family and celebrating her daughters' every accomplishment, whether academic, professional, or creative-every day, Jamie tirelessly showed her unwavering support and love for her family. In addition to her beloved husband Ping of 38 years, Jamie is survived by her older daughter Connie and her husband, Scott, her younger daughter, Katie, and her brothers Jianquan and Jianbin. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Family and friends are invited to gather for a memorial service in celebration of Jamie's beautiful life, to be held on Saturday, June 29, at 11:00 AM at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport, 10 Lyons Plain Road, with a reception to follow. A private viewing and burial for family will be held at the Harding Funeral Home and Willowbrook Cemetery, respectively. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Jamie's memory to the American Cancer Society.