Emil W. Shen

Emil Walter Shen, age 62, of Newark DE, passed away on Wednesday, August 15, 2018, with his family by his side, from complications of multiple system atrophy.

He was born in Elon NC, son of Lee Ming (Chow) and the late Ching Sheng Shen, and grew up in Raleigh NC and Bethlehem PA.  He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978.  After receiving a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University, he moved to Delaware to work for DuPont where he enjoyed a 25-year career, retiring in 2005.

The first half of Emil’s life was marked by his dedication to the game of chess.  He was captain of the MIT chess team and eventually achieved the rank of National Master.  The best years of his life began when he discovered the Lord and also met the love of his life, Hueyshin “Helen” Lin.  Emil and Helen were married in 1986 and blessed with three children, Jessica, Nathan, and Katy.  In addition to his devotion to his family, Emil was very involved with his church, Wilmington Community Evangelical Church (WCEC).  He served as a deacon for many years, was active in furthering the church’s English ministry, and especially enjoyed working with the church youth groups.  In the early 1990’s, he devoted considerable effort to the construction of the original church building on Brackenville Road.

Emil is survived by his wife, Helen; his children, Jessica, Nathan, and Katy; his mother, Lee Ming Shen; his sister, Anna Shen (Kokpeng Yu); niece, Emily Yu (Seth Bodden); nephews, David and Paul Yu; and many extended family members.

Family and friends are invited to visit from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Friday, August 24, 2018, at WCEC, 1512 Brackenville Road, Hockessin DE 19707. A memorial service will be celebrated at WCEC the following day at 11:00 AM.

The Shen family would like to thank the many friends and caregivers, doctors, and other health professionals, who made it possible for Emil to live at home with his family for the many years that he was ill. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Emil’s memory may be made to the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition, www.multiplesystematrophy.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Emil W. Shen, please visit our floral store.