Wing Tsang passed away on September 4, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts, shortly before celebrating his 91st birthday, leaving a legacy of public service, scientific contribution, and devotion to his family.

Born in Shanghai in 1935, he spent three years trapped in Japanese-occupied Manila during World War II before arriving in New York City in 1945, where he attended Queens’ PS 144 and Forest Hills High School. He then earned an S.B. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1956, and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Cornell University in 1961. Within his research group at Cornell, Wing met and married another researcher, Joanne S.C. Wong.

In 1962, Dr. Tsang began a 51-year career in public service at the National Bureau of Standards (now National Institute of Standards and Technology or NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, eventually serving as Chief of the Chemical Kinetics Division. His research centered on combustion chemistry using single-pulse shock tube experiments, which helped create chemical kinetics databases used by scientists worldwide to power aerospace, environmental, and energy sciences. In 1985, he co-founded the International Conference on Chemical Kinetics (ICCK), whose mission is to unite investigators from academia and industry. Today, ICCK honors his work through the Wing Tsang Early Career Award in Chemical Kinetics, established to support and inspire young scientists.

As a history buff, particularly military history, and as a well-informed member of the public, Wing amazed his daughters and grandchildren in games of Trivial Pursuit. On weekdays, he was the breakfast-maker, ensuring his daughters went off to school on time and well-fed. On weekends, he took them ice-skating, swimming, and to local libraries. He spent his free time playing cards and board games—like hearts, Landslide, Monopoly, and Scrabble—with his daughters, doing yardwork, and serving as a handy fix-it man around the house. Curiosity, dedication, positivity, warmth, and humor were intrinsic parts of his character, whether at home or in the lab.

Wing is predeceased by his wife, Joanne; brother, York; and parents Mr. and Mrs. Chih Tsang. He is survived by his brother, James, and sister-in-law, Carol; daughters and their partners, Grace (Richard), Rose (Ravi), Joyce (Harald), and Alice (Stanley); as well as grandchildren, Maxine, Miles, David, Aimee, and Justin.

————————————

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, donations may be made to support the Wing Tsang Early Career Award. Please make check out to MIT, which handles funds for the awardees, and write "Green/Tsang fund" on the memo line. Mail to:

Prof. William H. Green MIT Department of Chemical Engineering 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room E17-504H Cambridge, MA 02139-4307