03/19/2026
In honor of Women's History Month, join us in celebrating Helen!
Weihua “Helen” Ting was born on October 4, 1937, in Tianjin, China, the second of six children. Raised in Taiwan, Helen spoke little of her early years, describing a childhood shaped by strict parents and significant hardship. Even then, her resilience began to take root. She excelled academically in high school and earned admission to one of Taiwan’s most prestigious colleges, setting the foundation for a lifetime marked by discipline, perseverance, and determination.
Helen’s passion for learning ultimately brought her to the United States, where she earned her master’s degree from Syracuse University and later completed her PhD at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. At a time when few women, and even fewer Asian women, pursued advanced scientific degrees, Helen quietly broke barriers. She was known as a diligent, hardworking student who was respected and admired by her professors. Among her proudest academic achievements was becoming the first woman from RPI to publish a newspaper, a testament to her initiative and courage.
Trained as a microbiologist and biochemist, Helen built a distinguished career as a researcher and college instructor. She served as a professor and researcher at the University of Michigan and later taught chemistry at Eastern Michigan University. Her work demanded precision, patience, and persistence—qualities that defined not only her professional life, but her character.
Yet, when asked about her greatest accomplishments, Helen would not point to her degrees or professional titles. She would speak of her family. Helen met Larry Ting while she was a student in New York. At first, she rejected his flowers and candies, but when he arrived one day with fruit, her heart softened. The two went on to share more than 40 years of marriage, remaining devoted to one another until Larry’s passing in 2025. Together, they built a life rooted in faith, education, and family.
Helen and Larry raised four children, each of whom earned advanced degrees and built stable, meaningful careers. Helen considers this her greatest achievement. Her legacy is not only academic—it is generational.
As a grandmother, Helen found deep joy in simple moments. She was delighted in spoiling her grandchildren, Eden and Ezra, especially during visits filled with scrambled eggs, fried rice, and baked treats that did not always turn out as planned. They were eaten anyway. What mattered was not perfection, but love.
In her daily life, Helen enjoys gardening, exercising, walking, singing hymns, reading her Bible, and faithfully praying for her children. Her Christian faith has always been central to who she is, shaping how she endured hardship, pursued excellence, and loved her family with quiet devotion.
Helen’s story is not loud, but it is powerful. She crossed continents in pursuit of education. She thrived in demanding scientific fields. She supported her husband, raised four accomplished children, and prayed over her family every day. She reminds us that strength does not need recognition to be real.
We honor Helen not only for what she achieved, but for who she is: a scholar, a pioneer, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a woman whose quiet faithfulness forever changed the course of her family’s history.
