NINGKUN WU

1920 - 2019

WU Ningkun Wu August 14, 1920 - August 10, 2019 On Saturday, August 10, 2019, Ningkun Wu passed away in Sterling, Virginia. His loving wife of 65 years, Yikai Li, was at his side. Ningkun was born on August 14, 1920 (lunar calendar) in Yangzhou, China. At age 21 he left National Southwest Associated University in Kunming to interpret for the Flying Tigers and Chinese Air Force. He "flew the hump" seven times to facilitate communications with British troops in India. In 1943, he traveled to U.S. air bases to work with Chinese aviators. When World War II ended, he studied at Manchester College in Indiana, pursuing graduate studies in English and American literature at the University of Chicago in 1948. In 1951, Ningkun returned to China to teach English at Yenching University, then Nankai University, where he met Yikai Li. They mar- ried on July 8, 1954, and had three children. In 1956, Ningkun was posted to the Institute of International Relations in Beijing. His American education and habit of speaking candidly led to his denunciation as an "ultra-rightist" in 1957. Over the next 22 years, he was exiled, sent to prison camps to do hard labor, and starved. Throughout these ordeals, he survived with the love and support of his family, and with the writings of Shakespeare and the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu. When not imprisoned, he taught English at universities in Anhui province. Exonerated in 1979, he was reinstated to the Institute in Beijing. After moving to the U.S. in 1990, Ningkun and Yikai wrote the memoir A Single Tear, published in 1993. Ningkun was a prolific translator of literature, and wrote poetry, essays, and reviews. He was a visiting professor at many universities in the U.S. and overseas. At his alma mater, Manchester College, he was honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters. In retirement, he enjoyed visits from a steady stream of former students, colleagues, and friends. Ningkun was genial, with a quick wit and playful sense of humor. Despite his experiences in China, he remained a lifelong optimist, and never stopped speaking candidly. In 2005 he was baptized into the Catholic Church. Ningkun is survived by his wife Yikai; sons Yiding and Yicun; daughter Yimao; and grandchildren Erik, Jasmine, Patrick, Phoebe, Rachel, and Michelle. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the viewing at St. John Neumann Church, 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, Virginia at 9 a.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2019, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the viewing at St. John Neumann Church, 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, Virginia at 9 a.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2019, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m.