Cupertino has lost a woman who dedicated her life to the community and public service. Those close to former Mayor Hung Wei said her fighting spirit will be missed.
Wei, surrounded by family and friends, died Aug. 28 at age 69 from stage four lung cancer. She is survived by her two sons and husband.
Wei was a Taiwanese immigrant who graduated from UCLA and moved to the Bay Area with her husband, Ta-Wei Chien, in 1981, according to California Local. They moved to Cupertino in 1990. She became involved in her local community around 2004 after she joined Cupertino’s Fremont Union High Schools Foundation. She went on to serve as a board trustee in the Fremont Union High School District from 2007 to 2018.
A few years later, she entered Cupertino politics, serving one term on the City Council from 2020 to 2024. She took on the role of mayor in 2023.
Maria Segal met Wei in 2007 because they both wanted to become school trustees. Segal didn’t get the seat, but grew closer to Wei after Segal’s young son died unexpectedly.
Wei had lost her daughter before Segal’s son died. Segal said instead of Wei isolating, she threw herself into community work. Wei founded Verdadera at Monta Vista High School, a student publication dedicated to mental health and wellness.
“She showed that by living a meaningful life and that by being of service, you can somehow find a way to move forward again, to even find joy again,” Segal told San José Spotlight. “It was a bond between us.”
In her free time, Wei also volunteered at The Butter Paddle — a homegoods store where proceeds are donated to behavioral health services provider Pacific Clinics — and participated in the Rotary Club of Cupertino with a stint as district governor.
Wei’s political ambitions also inspired the community, including Cupertino resident Rod Sinks. Sinks was Wei’s neighbor for roughly 30 years, and got to know her better while he was a councilmember and mayor between 2011 and 2020. He said they’d often play mahjong and drink a glass of red wine in the evenings after meetings.
Sinks said Wei genuinely wanted to increase affordable housing in Cupertino and worked diligently to get the city’s state housing plan approved. The city must build 4,588 homes by 2031 to comply with the state, under a plan Wei worked on. Sinks ran alongside Wei for the two open city council seats last year and said she won the hearts of Cupertino residents despite losing.
“She really had the heart of a lion — and I mean courage and I mean persistence and passion that (was) actually put into action,” Sinks told San José Spotlight.
During her time on the school board and city council, Wei participated in the Rotary Club of Cupertino. She worked alongside Orrin Mahoney, who previously served as a mayor and councilmember. She recruited approximately 40 people to join the club.
Mahoney said Wei saw him run for council and become a rotary club district governor, and thought she could do that too — and she did. Mahoney was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and beat it. He said after her cancer diagnosis, Wei probably thought she could beat it too. He said while she lost her battle with cancer, she will be remembered for her optimism and constant willingness to tackle new challenges.
Mahoney said one of his favorite memories of Wei is from a camping trip they went on as rotary club members. While everyone else slept outside, Wei booked a hotel. He said she still showed up to uplift her community, even though camping wasn’t her favorite activity.
“I think of her and her goodwill and a sense of energy,” Mahoney told San José Spotlight. “She could do so much stuff and she never stopped.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.
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