Yuqin Cheng

Yuqin Cheng, of Boston, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on March 7, 2026.

Born in Dangtu, Anhui Province, China, Yuqin shared a close bond with her older sister, Yueqin Cheng, until Yueqin’s death in 2020. In her early twenties she left home for work in Shanghai, where she met Hanxing Lu. The couple married in 1955 in Shanghai and raised three children: Ying Lu, born in 1958; Yun (Lucy) Lu, born in 1960; and Yong Lu, born in 1962.

Hanxing’s career as a naval officer took the family to many places across China, including Dangtu, Xiamen, Shanghai, Ningbo, and Hefei. In 1978 they settled in his hometown of Luhe, now a district of Nanjing, where Hanxing passed away in 1987 at the age of 62. After his death, Yuqin’s life became defined by her devotion to her growing family. She moved to be near her grandchildren—Xiaofeng Zhou, Lisa Jing, Yingting Lu, and Lydia Jing—playing a central role in their upbringing.

Yuqin first came to the United States in 1992 to help her daughter Lucy and son-in-law Jin care for their young daughter Lisa while they completed graduate studies at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She returned permanently in November 1996 after the birth of her second granddaughter, Lydia. The family lived in Washington state before moving to Medfield, Massachusetts in 1997 and settling in Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood in 2002. Known affectionately as “wai puo” to her grandchildren and their friends, Yuqin was a constant, nurturing presence—doting on the children, cooking for them, and staying closely involved in their lives.

She remained connected to loved ones in China, making her final visit there in 2006 to stay with her sister in Dangtu. Family members from China and elsewhere traveled to Boston over the years to spend time with her. Yuqin was blessed with two great-grandchildren, Leon Zhou, born in 2018, and Nicholas Jing Butterworth, born in 2024. She cherished meeting Nicholas during his visits from New York and delighted in watching both great-grandchildren grow through daily photos and videos.

Yuqin is survived by her children, Ying Lu (Xiao Zhou) of Wuhu, China, Lucy Lu (Jin Jing) of Boston, and Yong Lu (Haiyan Xu) of Ottawa, Ontario; grandchildren Xiaofeng Zhou (Juanjuan Zhang), Lisa Jing (Don Butterworth), Lydia Jing (Atticus Rex), and Yingting Lu; great-grandchildren Leon Zhou and Nick Butterworth; five nephews and nieces; and countless family and friends. Her family will always remember her as their strong, loving, grounded, and extraordinarily generous matriarch.