Jean Chang

Jean Y.W. Chang, 90, passed away peacefully the morning of April 28, 2025, with her daughter at her bedside. She was born April 22, 1935, in Touqiao, Jiangsu Province, China. At a young age she faced the consequences of the Chinese Civil War. She was separated from her brother and father and took care of her sick mother while living with relatives in the countryside. In middle school, she earned admission to Zhenjiang Chongshi Girls’ School. There she met her best friend, Nancy Ho, who she would be her lifelong friend for over 75 years.

In 1948 she and her brother relocated to Taiwan to be with her father and stepmother who would raise and love her as her own. In Taiwan she was a dedicated and high-achieving student. Upon completing high school she was admitted to National Taiwan University, the most prestigious institution in the country where she majored in chemistry. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she was fortunate to earn a scholarship to come to the US in 1959 to pursue graduate school. She received a master’s in chemistry from Texas Woman’s University in 1961. After graduate school she moved to Pittsburgh and worked at Carnegie Mellon Institute. She was there from 1962-1969.

In 1968 she started a long-distance relationship with a person who had known of her for many years, worked for her father at the sugar factory, and who was even on the same airplane as her coming to the United States. She married Shu-pei Chang in Pittsburgh on August 16, 1969. They then moved to Peoria, Illinois to start their lives. They lived in Peoria for almost 50 years. In Peoria, Jean was one of the original and foundational chemists at Daily Laboratories. She built that company with her heart and soul. She also got involved in real estate, owning several apartments. In the last 10 years of her career, she transitioned to working for Caterpillar. You could find her climbing large tanks to get testing materials. She loved being a scientist. She retired in 2010 and Shu-pei and her and moved to Carmel, IN to be closer to her daughter.

One of her greatest joys in life was her daughter, Tina, and her three grandchildren, Gavin, Mia, and Cole. She loved to watch them play when they were younger, be at their games as they got older and especially the joy that her homemade potstickers brought them.

Jean loved to sew, do puzzles, cook (although she rarely used the recipe), listen to music. Shu-pei and her travelled the world. She loved to read and at age 89 she read over 50 books in a year. Jean was kind. She always made sure she took care of her family in China and then her brother and mother in the US, and then her husband as he battled dementia. She was not one to have a ton of friends but for the few friends she had, she cared deeply about them.

She was determined, hardworking, generous and a loving woman. Jean leaves behind a daughter, Tina Fleming (Jason) and three grandchildren, Gavin, Mia, and Cole and a great-niece, Zhen An Wang. She also has many cousins from her stepmother’s family whom loved her like a sister. She always said she was lucky and blessed.

There will be a visitation, May 16th, from 9-10am at Flanner-Buchanan in Carmel followed by a private family service.