Shirley Liang Way was born November 17, 1928 in Shanghai. In her early twenties she worked as a stewardess for China National Aviation Corporation, China’s first commercial airline. The airline became famous during WWII for keeping the supply line between China and India open after the fall of the Burma Road to the Japanese by flying "the Hump" - the perilous journey across the Himalayas. In the 1940s, CNAC and Central Air Transport Corporation employed no more than a few dozen flight attendants. Two attendants would be assigned to large aircraft such as the C-200, while other planes had only one. Recruitment standards for airline stewardesses were stringent. Chinese newspaper Shun Pao (1872-1949) reported that applicants then should be between 1.5 to 1.7 meters tall, weigh 40 to 59 kilograms, and speak Putonghua, Cantonese, and English. She also worked as a secretary and learned how to use a Chinese English typewriter which required the user to manually select each character block for inking and came with thousands of extra characters to substitute as needed. She later attended Columbia University where she met and married Theodore Way who had also worked at CNAC. After Theodore graduated and went on to work at Raytheon Company, she devoted her time to raising her children Leonard and Andrea, both born in New York City. The family later moved to New Jersey, then to Palermo, Italy, then to Arlington, Massachusetts and then to Taipei, Taiwan where Terence was added to the family. In Taiwan she was very active in various women's groups including the Masonic affiliated Order of the Eastern Star, the Order of the Rainbow for Girls, as well as community organizations such as the Taipei International Women's Club. She also served as a deacon in the Presbyterian Church as well as singing in the choir. After her three children moved to the United States, Shirley and Theodore moved to the Philippines and finally to Rowland Heights, California where they joined the Rowland Heights Community Christian Church. She passed away peacefully on October 21, 2024, at the age of 95. The family feels blessed to have had her kind heart and loving personality for so many years and look forward to joining her and Theodore in the Lord's presence.
A graveside service for Shirley will be held Saturday, November 23, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601.
Shirley will be laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601; Mimosa Lawn; Gate: 19, Section: 3, Lot: 3606, Grave: 3.
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