Jack (Mingde) Zheng

Jack (Mingde) Zheng was born on June 17, 1987 in Guangxi, China. He passed away on December 13, 2022 at age 35 after three year battle with  cancer. He was a true fighter who never thought of giving up, and fought faithfully and fearlessly until the end. Jack was a loving husband to Kelly (Xuyin) Zhou, whom he married on February 4, 2017, and a caring father to his daughter, Evelyn.

As a lifetime learner, Jack had a unique academic background across two continents. After early schooling in China, he came to the United States by himself and attended St. Anthony Private High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he graduated as valedictorian with a scholarship to The University of Texas at Austin. Jack continued his graduate education and received his Master and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University, thereafter pursuing postdoctoral training within the industry. Jack once said that, though not gifted in every subject, he was grateful to find a passion for building things and solving problems, which greatly motivated him to make a difference in people’s lives.

Jack was a Principal Research Scientist at the headquarters of Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. He felt blessed to have the opportunity to lead his own research lab and collaborate with world-class scientists. Jack loved his job and was never afraid to challenge status quo and authorities. His favorite quote was by Albert Einstein: "Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." As a scientist, Jack loved to go beyond the bounds by taking on new initiatives and using his creativity to explore and invent the impossible.

Jack was disciplined and lived by three basic principles: endeavor to be practical, efficient, and productive. He strove to always find balance in his life, and to make the best use of his time for family, friends, work, and his own personal adventures.

Jack was a loving husband. He loved to give romantic surprises and bring small gifts to Kelly. You might have come across a young man wandering around Whole Foods on a Friday afternoon, carrying a bunch of red roses and picking up pastries. Jack was a fun Dad. You might have seen a young father doing FaceTime and making funny faces and noises to his little daughter. Jack was a good friend. You might have heard the loudest laugh at a restaurant amongst a large group of friends. This was all Jack, a dear one to those who have cherished his presence.

Jack is survived by his wife, Kelly Zhou, and their daughter, Evelyn Zheng,  his father, his mother, his sister, his bother in law. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, December 30, at 10:00 AM EST, at New Durham Chapel, 225 New Durham Rd, Piscataway, NJ, 08854. A livestream will be available at: (https://www.mingdejackzheng.com/ AND https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWgkJlO4IHI).

 In lieu of flowers, please direct any memorial donations to Evelyn Zheng’s college fund (https://www.gofundme.com/f/mingde-jack-zheng?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer ).

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