Jun Yang

Jun Yang, 59, of Vernon Hills, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2026. She was born on September 8,1966 in Shanghai to Zizhi Yang and Wenjin Yang.

Jun is survived by her loving husband of 36 years, Yimin “Philip” Yan, her children, David and Angelina, her mother, Wenjin, and her sister, Sheng.

Jun spent her early years in Shanghai before she moved to Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province when she was 9 years old. She moved back to Shanghai where she attended Fudan University at 18 years of age.

Jun flew to the US in 1990 to attend University of Pittsburgh where she obtained her PhD in biology. Jun had worked in a variety of fields since then. She moved to the Chicago area with her family in 2002.

Jun was a loving and dedicated wife and mother. Throughout her busy career she was able to juggle caring for her family, working full time and enjoying the hobbies she really loved. Jun was a person full of love and life. She loved dancing, yoga and travel. She also enjoyed music, reading, and Chinese calligraphy.

Of all these activities, dancing was her favorite. She had been dancing for 20+ years with her group of friends and mostly in Chicago area; she occasionally went to the other parts of the country or world to perform. She continued to dance until cancer and treatment robbed her of her strength and stamina, preventing her from doing what she loved the most in her life.

She gradually shifted to yoga, walking and calligraphy, trying to enjoy life in different ways. Eventually, she became unable to continue calligraphy due to the side effects on her right arm.

Jun loved to travel around the world. In the early years after she moved to the US, she, her husband, and later with their kids, were able to go to many different places in the US, China and Europe. It was right after her trip to Australia that she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in early July 2022. In mid-2023 after about one year of treatment, she entered into drug- free remission. She resumed traveling with family to visit or to revisit various national parks in the US and Canada, Europe, and finally China in late 2024 before cancer recurred in early 2025. Unfortunately, there were still many places in the world that she wanted to but couldn’t visit.

Jun fought a brave battle against cancer and lived a full life. While her physical strength deteriorated, she maintained a strong will and the tenacity to do what she could to fight for and enjoy life. Instead of being depressed, self-pitying, or complaining about the unfair fate of being struck with cancer, she took the cancer in stride. When the time finally came, she accepted it calmly.

Jun left us with a rich memory of kindness, love, and beauty which will be cherished forever. Jun was not a particularly religious person, but she is now surely in a better place.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 10 AM until the 11 AM funeral service at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 941 S. Old Rand Rd., Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Interment will be private. 

Please join us virtually to celebrate her life starting at 10:50 AM

Jun's Celebration of Life

Meeting ID: 838 0693 1730
Passcode: 140154