Obituary of Ming Tong

Ming Tong 童明 passed away at his home in Darien, CT on Tuesday, December 3rd after an extended illness. He was 65 years old.

Ming was born in Dalian, China to Zihe Tong 童梓和 and Kejun Tang 汤克峻, who were both professors at the then Dalian Institute of Technology (DIT), now Dalian University of Technology. A determined student despite difficult circumstances in China at the time, Ming performed exceptionally well on his college entrance exams and successfully gained admission to DIT as an undergraduate student in 1977.

In 1981 Ming graduated from DIT with a BS in physics, and distinguished himself as a teacher and researcher at DIT after graduation. Due to his achievements, the university sent him abroad to Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium as an exchange scholar, where he earned a MS in physics in 1985. After traveling throughout Europe, Ming continued his scientific studies in the U.S, where he earned his Ph.D. in Computational Atomic Physics at the University of Nevada, Reno in 1991. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Vanderbilt University’s Computer Science department until 1993.

Ming found his first job in Nashville, TN, beginning a long and successful career in software engineering and development. In 1996, Ming moved to the New York City area, where he worked as a developer and system administrator at major financial firms such as Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley. During this time, Ming also met his wife, Guiying. The couple married in 1998 and moved to Connecticut, where Ming became a devoted father to two children in 2000 and 2001.

Ming was gentle and empathetic. Introverted and quiet, he deeply cared for his family and children in every aspect of his life. A notably active man who loved nature, Ming enjoyed long walks and swimming whenever he could. He shared his love for reading, cartoons, and movies with his children, and enjoyed many adventures across the US and Canada with his loved ones. He is greatly loved, and will be greatly missed.

Ming is survived by his wife Guiying, his children Julia and Evan, his brother Liang, and his nephews Alexander and Michael.

A visitation will be held for Ming on Tuesday December 17, 2024 from 9 AM to 10 AM at Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien CT.