He was born in 1921 in Ensurai, Sibu. When he was very young, after his father died, and soon his mother died from malnutrition. He was adopted by Rev and Mrs. James Hoover. Thus he was the only boy at first in Yuk Ing Girls' School.
But later he was joined by Ling BEng Siew.
He was sent to the Anglo Chinese School in Singapore for his secondary education.
After the war he won a scholarship to study in the USA and he obtained his Doctorate in Medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore . While there he met Dr. Brewster who encouraged him to return to Sibu and to start a hospital in Kapitm named Christ Hospital. He returned to Sarawak as a missionary commissioned by the Methodist Church of USA together with his wife Dr. Lilian.
While he was in Kapit, he and his wife did a lot of good social work as well as mission work. His energy was endless. He collaborated with Dr. Brewster and many American missionary doctors. The Christ Hospital was the best hospital in the Rajang Valley in those days. Patients from all over Sarawak went to Kapit to seek treatment.
His motto was to 'Live simply, give generously, and think vigorously'.
He returned to the United states as the Christ Hospital was to be passed on to the Malaysian Government. But upon his father-in-law's request he moved his family to Hong Kong in 1962. As an activist he helped many people in Hong Kong and carried on his good work as a philanthropist, social worker and doctor.
In 1990 he moved to San Francisco where he passed away in 2008 at the ripe old age of 87.
Ding had 4 children with his wife Lillian who was also a doctor and very engaged in social work. Their oldest daughter Vivian is a doctor, their second daughter Mary May (named after Mrs. Mary Hoover) is in the technology industry, their third daughter Grace is also doctor, their youngest son Luke studied medicine but switched to finance and now also very engaged in philanthropy.
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