Marjory Bong-Ray Liu

1923 - 2022

August 24, 1923 - August 24, 2022 Dr. Marjory Bong-Ray Liu, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully at age 99 on August 24, 2022, in Huntington Beach, California. Born in Nanjing, China, she was one of six children of Wen-Hai Liu and Anne Pickstock. She attended high school at St. Mary's Hall in Shanghai during WWII and in 1944 married Dr. James Yu-Ping Chen. In the late 1940s, they emigrated to the U.S. where their four children were born. After their births, she received a BA in music therapy from Alverno College, an MA in music education from USC, and a PhD in ethnomusicology from UCLA in 1976. A trailblazer, Marjory was the first person to teach public high school Mandarin Chinese in the Los Angeles area in the 1960s and 1970s--at Bellflower High School and Beverly Hills High School. From 1973 until her retirement, she taught Humanities at Arizona State University. A gifted and accomplished musician, Marjory was a talented pianist, organist, and singer, and held numerous church positions as choir director, organist, and even composer for a new church dedication. Throughout her active, long life, she was curious about everything, lived in numerous places, and enjoyed world travels. She is survived by her children (Doreen, Kenneth, Kathleen, and Dennis), six grandchildren, and five great-grandsons. She will be greatly missed. A private family Celebration of Life was recently held in her memory.