Lilian Le-Ling Li

Passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025, in Silver Spring, Maryland, at the age of 93. Lilian was predeceased by her husband, David Hsiang-Fu Li, to whom she was married for 61 years. Lilian will be lovingly remembered by her son, Philip Clark Li of Brooklyn, NY, daughter and son-in-law, Leslie Catherine Li and Brian Hutton Ahlborn of Traverse City, MI, and beloved grandchildren Maxwell Li Ahlborn and Veronika Li Ahlborn, both of Brooklyn, NY.

Lilian was born on July 23, 1932, in Shanghai, China, the eldest daughter of the late Chi-Jen Chen and Chun-Ping Liu. Lilian has one surviving sister, Le-Shen Chang of Taipei, Taiwan, and was predeceased by her two brothers, Charles Chung-Yeh Liu and Kai-Yeh Liu. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Catherine Ling-Ling Liu and Maggie Ngor-Fu Li.

Lilian was raised in a loving family in the port city of Fuzhou, China. She was a fifth generation descendent of Lin Zexu, a renowned Chinese national hero. In late 1948, during a period of significant political change in China, Lilian and her three siblings left for Taipei, Taiwan, where they lived with their aunt and uncle. In 1952, she was awarded a scholarship to attend Nazareth College in Louisville, Kentucky. Although she didn't realize it at the time, her visit to the US to study would last almost uninterrupted for nearly 70 years.

After graduating with a degree in Chemistry and Medical Technology in 1956, Lilian moved to Los Angeles, CA and began her career as a medical technologist at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. She had a lengthy career as a Medical Technologist, including working at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, Regional Primate Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, State of Maryland Department of Public Health in Rockville, MD, Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, TX, and culminated her career running the medical laboratory at the World Bank in Washington, DC.

During her time in Los Angeles, Lilian met her future husband, David Hsiang-Fu Li, through family friends while David was teaching at the University of Southern California. They were married on the day after Thanksgiving in 1957 in Los Angeles, and later had two children, Philip and Leslie. She enjoyed her career and colleagues, but her family was absolutely Lilian's true pride and joy. Her love was unwavering and unconditional, and her warmth and generosity are her most profound legacy to her family.

After living in Huntington Beach, CA, Seattle, WA, and Hong Kong, Lilian and David made their home in Bethesda, Maryland, where they would spend almost 50 years, moving later to Leisure World and Bedford Court. Having grown up along the Pacific Ocean in China, Lilian loved the water and later re-created that environment on the Atlantic Ocean, spending many happy moments with her children and grandchildren in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Her grandchildren were astonished to discover one day that she had a hidden talent in ping pong, which she hadn't played since high school.

Lilian barely knew how to cook at the beginning of her marriage, but she learned quickly and discovered a natural talent for cooking both Western and Chinese cuisines. Lilian embraced her motto "food is love", cooking elaborate meals to celebrate, share, and pass down her Chinese culture. Her children, and her grandchildren, requested her legendary pan-fried dumplings, lion's head meatballs, and curry meat puffs at every birthday and holiday. As a self-taught chef, Lilian didn't use recipes and delighted in sharing her cooking secrets with her family so they could carry on the family tradition. In embracing her adopted American culture, perhaps her favorite dish for herself was a nice piece of pecan pie.

Above all, Lilian will be remembered for her warmth, love, resilience, deep faith, huge heart, and her infectious laugh.

A private family service will be held later this fall. Memorial donations in memory of Lilian, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (www.nationalshrine.org) and the American Orchid Society (www.aos.org).