Xuan Cheng Wu

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Xuan Cheng Wu.  Born on February 11, 1935 in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, Xuan Cheng passed away peacefully in Guelph, Ontario, Canada on November 19, 2025 at the age of 90.  Xuan Cheng is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anran Xu, his children, Danqing Wu, Hanqing Wu, Wenqing Wu, and Changqing Wu, and his grandchildren, Han Yu, Diane Wu, Tim Wu, Cindy Wu, Renee Wu, Ryan Wu, and Lucas Jin.  He is predeceased by his brothers Xuanwen Wu and Xuanzhou Wu, and beloved parents Guangjia Wu and Yuanshan Sun.  He will be remembered for the countless lives he saved, his unflagging cheerful spirit, and, above all, his boundless love and pride for his family.

Xuan Cheng entered Jiangxi Medical School in 1950, expecting to pursue his passion for cardiology and enter the gruelling profession of practicing medicine.  He did not expect to find Anran, a beautiful and whipsmart classmate.  Thus began an enduring and stalwart partnership, as Xuan Cheng and Anran navigated treating patients, teaching students, and raising a growing family, against the backdrop of famine, revolutions, and extraordinary sociopolitical change.  Xuan Cheng imbued in his children the belief that no dream was out of reach.  When their children immigrated overseas, having graduated from some of China’s premier universities, Xuan Cheng and Anran followed fearlessly, adopting Canada as their primary home for the past few decades.

In his later years, Xuan Cheng undertook the careful task of documenting this family history, self-publishing reams of handwritten notes into volumes that now sit on each child’s bookshelves.  He relished in gathering his family to celebrate his birthdays, with celebrations so frequent that the family tended to lose track of how many times he turned 80, 85, 90 years old.  He will be remembered for presiding over these gatherings with a quiet smile, and alternating between proudly surveying his chattering grandchildren and sneaking another bite of dessert.  He will be sorely missed by his ever growing family, who will forever yearn for his proud smile, his words of wisdom, and his steady guiding hand

A visitation will be held at Wall-Custance Funeral Home, 206 Norfolk St., Guelph on Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. The service will begin at 1:30pm.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

A tree will be planted in memory of Xuan Cheng Wu in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.