Julia I. (Yang) Shiao

Julia Shiao, of Amherst and Ware, MA, passed away peacefully in her home on February 25 at the age of 87. The daughter of Yang Yu-Chiung and Ku Chia-Feng, Julia was born on August 8, 1937, in Shanghai, China. She enjoyed a pleasant childhood with her parents, two older sisters and an older brother, and many extended family members, until 1949 when her family fled, along with the retreat of the government of the Republic of China, to Taipei, Taiwan. In Taiwan, Julia earned admission to Tamkang University where she majored in English. After completing her undergraduate studies, she attended Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University) where she graduated with her Master of Library Science. While a student at Peabody, she was the maid of honor at a friend’s wedding and was set up on a blind date with the best man, a young engineering student also from Taiwan, named Shing-fa (Sherm) Shiao. Julia and Sherm had their first date on December 29, 1963, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. After returning to their respective schools, they continued their courtship via letter writing. Almost exactly one year later, on December 26, 1964, they married at First Baptist Church on the Upper West Side. Julia worked as a librarian at Bard College and the University of Connecticut before pausing her career to raise two children along with Sherm. They welcomed son Dennis in 1969, followed by daughter Jennifer in 1972. As a homemaker, Julia was known for her homemade dumplings and scallion pancakes. Food was her love language, and she prepared delicious dishes for her family and friends with skill and love. In 1982, Julia returned to the librarian profession as the head librarian of Mercy College in Yorktown Hts., NY, where she worked for over 20 years. Mercy College students, faculty, and staff always knew they would find a friendly face at the library when Julia was there. After retiring, Julia and Sherm spent much of their leisure time on international travel, including trips to Spain, Italy, Shanghai, and Taiwan. Julia was thrilled to become a grandmother twice over, to beloved granddaughters Kayla and Liana, both of whom she taught to make her famous dumplings. Julia and Sherm moved to Amherst, MA in 2016, where they became regulars at Line Dancing and Folk Dancing classes at the Amherst Senior Center, and frequented the UMass dining commons for brunch with a new group of friends. Julia made friends wherever she went, including at Cedarbrook Village where she lived for six months. Her warmth and caring were always evident in her smile and her laugh. Julia is survived by her husband of over 60 years Shing Fa, son Dennis (wife Lisa), daughter Jennifer (husband Paul), granddaughters Kayla and Liana, sister Rose Kao and nieces Alice and Barbara, nephews Stephen and Roger and niece Anne, niece Hong Yu, brother-in-law Tai Fa, and sisters-in-law Mei Ying, Mei Ling, and Chun Mei. Julia was predeceased by her sister Nancy Wang and her brother Yang Chao-Shu. The family would like to express their deep gratitude to Julia’s caretakers at Cedarbrook Village Assisted Living and Beacon Hospice Care, as well as beloved helpers Pam and Lee. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on March 8, at Cebula Funeral Home in Ware, MA, immediately followed by burial at South Cemetery in Amherst.  Cebula Funeral Home of Ware is Honored to serve the Shiao Family. For more information and an online guest book, please visit: www.cebulafuneralhome.com .

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