Sally Shing Shing Yeh

Sally Liu Shing Shing Yeh, age 91, of Mt. Lebanon, PA passed away Sunday, July 5, 2020. Beloved wife of 69 years of Charles Chia Ching Yeh; cherished mother of Charlotte S. Yeh and David (Irene) Yeh; grandmother of Julianne (Zephyr) Gale, Jessalyn (Jefferson) Shaw, Jasmine Gale, Nick (Mary) Yeh, and Bryanna Yeh; daughter of the late Liu Kai Zhong and Nancy Chen; sister of the late William Liu; also survived by her three siblings Alfred Liu, Cecilia Chang, and George Liu. Family and friends will gather in person at the funeral home or via Zoom for a remembrance and celebration of life on Saturday, September 12, 2020 (the 70th wedding anniversary of Charles and Sally) in the evening (USA EDT time zone), with the specific time and Zoom Meeting ID to be announced later.  The in-person component of the service will be held at Pittsburgh Cremation and Funeral Care, 5405 Steubenville Pike, Robinson Township, PA 15136.

Sally Liu Shing Shing Yeh was born in Nanjing, China on June 3rd, 1928, to accomplished parents, Liu Kai Zhong (Secretary-General of the “Supervision Institute”, Republic of China) and Nancy Chen (one of the first Chinese women college graduates), and was the oldest of 5 children. Sally became a refugee during the turbulent times of China’s civil war and Japanese occupation, yet still managed to be one of the few women selected for a college scholarship at Mercy College in Pittsburgh, PA. She left for the United States at the young age of 17 in 1947. She graduated with a BA in Sociology and Economics and became a highly respected investment banker, known as the “Dragon Lady”, for her astute analytics and sharp decision-making.

By the 1970’s, Sally was promoted to Assistant VP for Institutional Investment, in the Trust Department for Mellon Bank, no small feat at a time when women, let alone immigrant women, were rarely in management positions. In this role, she was the first woman to be entrusted with the investment of Mellon Bank’s institutional dollars.  Along the way, after noting that women received 60-70% of pay as compared to their male counterparts, Sally advocated for income equality as well as for promotional opportunity for women leading to change in practices. In 1987, Sally retired from Mellon Bank upon being invited to teach principles of investment and banking in China, which she did for the following 17 years, earning a reputation as a revered teacher.  Many of her students went on to achieve major accomplishments, including some who started the first credit card program and stock exchange in China. Moreover, Sally introduced US businesses to China, helping them become among the first to engage China in trade and manufacturing. Sally finally retired a second time at the age of 79, admitting she was ready for a slower pace. Known for integrity, love of both her native and adopted countries, and passion for the under-served, Sally will be sorely missed.  To this day we are still learning how many lives Sally touched directly and indirectly over her long and accomplished career and life as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, banker, teacher and trailblazer.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor Sally Shing Shing Yeh’s legacy may choose to donate to any of the following three charities. We chose these three to celebrate and continue to pay forward Sally’s passions and accomplishments over her extraordinary life, as she would have wished:

1. Sally was a quiet, humble woman who paved the way for other working women to achieve parity and leadership, and most importantly, to become a change agent for the greater good of society. In this spirit, the Carol Emmott Fellowship was selected as an organization that exemplifies women mentoring and leadership development to achieve fully inclusive gender equity in the top-tier of health leadership, where women are particularly underrepresented. Donation link: www.carolemmottfellowship.org/donate

2. In her early adult years, despite being both a full-time mother and career woman, Sally still found time to volunteer with her husband and friends. Together, they established the original Pittsburgh OCA chapter that helped immigrant Chinese students acclimate to their new country with English and cultural classes, medical care, legal advice, Chinese school for their children and more. She also helped initiate the annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival celebrating the many diverse immigrant communities in America. We identified OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates as an organization that embodies Sally’s commitment to bridging diversity and that also honors her heritage. OCA is a non-profit organization with over fifty chapters and affiliates nationally, each serving its local community through direct services, leadership programs, and cultural events to uplift and support AAPI immigrants and their families. Donation link (with more information on the OCA website): https://www.ocanational.org/donate

3. Sally always advocated for the vulnerable and less fortunate. Throughout her life, she strived to assure that each and every person, no matter his or her station in life or title, could achieve his or her best life. In recognition of Sally’s commitment to the betterment of communities and universal access to essential services, we have selected the AARP Foundation as a meaningful donation recipient. This organization helps vulnerable older adults (particularly low-income women) obtain the essentials to increase food security, financial resilience, and social connection through community programs, legal advocacy, and volunteerism. Donation link: www.aarpfoundation.org/tribute

Please send written condolences to the family c/o:

Pittsburgh Cremation and Funeral Home

5405 Steubenville Pike

McKees Rocks, PA 15136