John Cheng Hwai Wang

John passed away on December 11, 2019. He was the beloved husband of Rosa Jenny, father of Sophia, Maria (and her husband Ping), Nina (and her husband Jim), and Amy (and her husband John). He was also the proud grandfather of Jocelyn, Jeremy, Bella, Mei Mei, and Sebastian. His dear sister, Mary, resides in Connecticut. 

John retired in 2010 after dedicating 40 years to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as an electrical engineer. One of his daughters was sad to one day learn, this is not the same kind of engineer who drives a train. He published dozens of technical papers in various professional journals and developed a highly respected sky-wave propagation model. In November 2010, he was presented with the E. Noel Luddy Award by the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers for his service and contributions to the communications community. He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 

He received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. He enrolled in graduate courses at The George Washington University before completing his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He continued to take pride in his alma mater by avidly rooting for the Terps Men’s Basketball team every year. We would like to believe he was particularly proud that some of his daughters also graduated from UMCP.   

His interests included astronomy, Chinese history, and contract bridge. He enjoyed playing this card game so much that he eventually achieved the coveted rank of Life Master with the American Contract Bridge League. Another of his daughters mistakenly assumed this important hobby was actually building bridges on Friday nights. John also had a love of travel. He would often find a way to build a family vacation around business trips, which fostered a love of traveling among the entire family. He managed to visit over 20 countries. He regularly visited Geneva, Switzerland where he acquired an appreciation of fine chocolate, cuckoo clocks, and cheese fondue.  

John was a devoted parishioner of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Beltsville for 50 years. During this time, he served as an usher, Euchuristic Minister, and a member of the Parish Council. He was proud to be a “Cradle Catholic” and attended daily Mass as often as he could 

(including many of those countries mentioned above). He was also a believer in Catholic education. All four of his daughters and two of his grandchildren matriculated through St. Joseph’s School.

We are so grateful for the time we have been able to spend with our beloved husband and father. While these last few weeks have been difficult, we have also been blessed with so much. Our family gives God thanks everyday for these abundant blessings. We all believe that John has found his eternal peace. We would like to express our gratitude for your thoughts, prayers and kindness during this time.

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