In Memoriam: Zheng Wu

Zheng Wu passed away on August 27 in Victoria, after a short period of illness. He was a long-standing professor of sociology at UVic (1992–2019), department chair from 2006–2011 and past president of the Canadian Population Society. He retired from UVic on July 1, and had planned to extend his gerontology research this fall as Tier I Canada Research Chair in Aging and Health at SFU.

Zheng’s research interests reached across numerous demographic topics, with a long-held emphasis on family demography. His recent research program was concerned with trends and patterns of aging population in Canada, focusing on union formation and dissolution in later life, and physical and psychological well-being of older adults. His other research areas include immigration, social integration, and race and ethnicity. Zheng was an accomplished educator and scholar. Over his career, he published over 100 books, edited volumes, chapters in books and peer-reviewed journal articles. 

Zheng is survived by his wife Lanjing Li, brother Jun and sister Fei. At his request, no funeral is to be held after his death.

—Submitted by the Department of Sociology