Bin He

My mom passed away due to complications from kidney cancer. She lived a wonderful life and will be loved and missed forever. My mom was born in city of Harbin, China. It is a city in the industrial northeast. The city is known for bitter winters as it sits directly south of Siberia. Mom was named after her birth city. She only lived there for a short time and spent her growing years in Beijing, China. During high school, she met my father and began a long, passionate, and complicated courtship until their divorce in 1998. They remained friends until her passing. Just after her high school graduation, the Cultural Revolution begun. Instead of going to college, mom was sent to a farm back in the northeastern part of China. It is a family joke that the reason that mom disliked winters was due to her time spent there. Mom joined the Chinese army with some help from my grandmother to get out of farm work. I was told that she had a hard time with basic training because she was not strong enough physically. She put herself and comrades in danger whenever they practiced live grenade drills because she couldn’t throw them far enough. Mom studied English in school and because of it was an English interpreter for the Chinese Army. After her service in the army, she got a job at the Chinese Writers Association working as an interpreter in the foreign affairs department. She interpreted for famous Chinese writers when they visited foreign countries as part of a cultural exchange. The job provided her opportunities to see the world. Her travels took her Australia, Denmark, and the Philippines, just to name a few. She was given the opportunity to further her English studies and she went to the College of London in England. After two years there, she was awarded a grant by a famous Hong Kong film producer to study at the Brigham Young University, where she received her Master’s degree in Political Science. Our family moved to Salt Lake City after she finished her studies at BYU. Mom worked for the Little and Grand America hotels for almost thirty years.
Mom was a very social person and made many friendships over her lifetime. Wherever we lived, it was the gathering place for friends and families from all over the world. Weekends were filled with great foods, lively discussions and card playing. She was known to help people in any way she could. She provided room and board to many young Chinese students studying here and assisted them in adjusting to life in America. Mom always seemed to be busy with assisting friends in need such as offering English assistance to Chinese friends, driving and picking up neighbors, co-workers and friends from the airport. Taking sickened friends to doctor visits and make meals for them. She always responded to calls of need.
My mom’s two passions in life are food and travel. She loved food from all over the world and had a great appetite to try different cuisines. She did not cook very well and much before she came to America, but after a short time, she became a great cook. She loved to try different recipes and created her own dishes. It seemed that every year, she added new dishes and cooking methods to her repertoire. Mom also enjoyed dining out and is always on the search for a good Chinese restaurant in the Salt Lake area. Regardless which Chinese restaurant she went to, she always told the cooks to use less oil and not too much salt in their cooking. Mom always harped on me about my weight, yet she dished out second helpings as soon as my plate was empty.
She enjoyed travelling. There many pictures of her trips around the world and in the U.S. In the past few years, she visited several European countries, New Zealand and Thailand. Domestically, her travel span from Hawaii to the Caribbean Islands. The one trip that she relished is her yearly visit to China. Each year for a month, mom visited her family and friends in different parts of China. She always brought back foods that are not available in the States.
What my mom valued the most is her family. She stilled missed her parents deeply years after their passing. She enjoyed spending time with us and loved watching her grandkids in various sporting events, school plays and other activities. She enjoyed seeing her brother and sisters as much as possible
and stayed in touch via phone calls and the WeChat app. She always wanted to be updated with latest news regarding her siblings and her nieces and nephew.
Our family would like to thank Dr. Anna Chalmers, PA Heather Van Loon at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital for the wonderful care that was given. We would also like to thank all the RNs and HCAs who worked on the 4th floor. We experience great care and compassion during mom’s three weeks stay at the Hospital. Gratitude and appreciation also extended to Rachel Montague and Jaclyn Piper-Williams at Supportive Oncology and Survivorship (SOS) team. Your warmth and kindness provided great comfort to our family.
Finally, we would like to thank the hospice care provided by Liza Johnson at the Community Nursing Services. Her service was caring and compassionate.
My mom did not want a funeral service because she did not want her family and friends remember her in her declined health. She preferred that we remember her for passion in life and joy that she brought to all of us. A celebration of live is planned in honor of her on November 18th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Little America Hotel.