According to the WeChat news of the Ma Haide Association, Comrade Sophie, the founder, chairman and honorary chairman of the Ma Haide Association, passed away at 23:30 on December 12, 2023 in Beijing Hospital at the age of 104.
Zhou Sophie, whose real name is Zhou Suzhen and whose stage name is Sophie, was born in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province in 1919. In August 1937, Sophie was blacklisted as a Kuomintang spy and evacuated Shanghai because of her active anti-Japanese propaganda.
In August 1939, she was introduced to Yan'an by the Shanghai Left-wing Writers' Union, and entered the Lu Xun Academy of Arts and Letters to study Xi literature and drama. In 1942, after graduation, he was assigned to the Yan'an "Lu Yi" Experimental Drama Troupe as an actor, and participated in drama performances such as "The Man with a Gun". In Yan'an, he married his international friend, Dr. Ma Haide.
In 1949, Sophie entered Beijing with the army from Yan'an. After entering Beijing, he began to engage in film work and drama performance. Since 1960, he has directed and participated in directing many films, such as "Mining Lamp", "Spring Thunder", "Peacock Princess", "Pioneer Footprints" and so on. Among them, after the movie "Peacock Princess" co-directed by her and Zhu Jinming and Xing Rong was released in 1982, it quickly became popular all over the country, and the film's starring Tang Guoqiang quickly became an idol in the hearts of female audiences across the country with his handsome appearance.
Since the year of her husband's death, Ms. Sophie has served as the vice president of the China Leprosy Association and the chairman of the Ma Haide Association, not only carrying out leprosy health education, but also actively supporting the families of leprosy patients and continuing to strive for the fulfillment of her husband's last wishes. The life of this legendary couple has left a strong mark in the history of leprosy in our country.
Ms. Sophie's son, the pony, was by her side to see her off, "and the mother walked peacefully in her sleep, with a smile on her face. Before her death, Ms. Sophie told her family not to trouble everyone to worry about her future, and everything was peaceful.
According to a previous article published by "Bright**", Ma Haide, formerly known as George Haydem, was born on September 26, 1910 in Buffalo, New York, USA, to an Arab immigrant family. Ma Haide spent his early life in poverty.
In November 1933, George, who had just received his M.D., heard of an oriental tropical disease prevalent in the Shanghai area. Compassion led him to resolve to cross the ocean to China to relieve the suffering of the people. In this way, he said goodbye to his alma mater and came directly from Switzerland to Shanghai, China.
In 1936, on the recommendation of Soong Ching-ling, two foreigners appeared at the headquarters of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. One is named Edgar ** and the other is named George Haydem. A few months later, ** completed the interview with *** and others, left northern Shaanxi, and then wrote the sensational "Red Star Shining in China" that caused a sensation in the world. George Heidem volunteered to remain in the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and became an adviser to the Red Army's Ministry of Health.
By chance, George had a Chinese name. In 1937, he followed *** to work in Ningxia, and saw that most of the local Hui brothers were surnamed "Ma", so he transferred "Haidem" to "Ma Haide". Since then, the American young George has become "Doctor Ma" affectionately called by his comrades.
In the same year, Ma Haide joined the Chinese Communist Party. In his subsequent work, he served the military and civilians in the liberated areas with his lofty internationalist spirit and superb medical skills, and made outstanding contributions to foreign exchanges.
After that, Ma Haide stayed in China completely, where he found the meaning of his life and obtained a beautiful love at the same time. He became acquainted with the Chinese girl Zhou Sophie, with whom he stayed on the road of revolution for 48 years.
Ma Haide's Chinese nationality was born at the same time as the Republic, and Ma Haide was deeply proud to be a citizen of New China. In 1950, he was appointed as an advisor to the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, and devoted himself to the development and construction of the health cause of New China with great enthusiasm and with great enthusiasm.
Founded in 1989, the chairman of the association is Zhou Youma, the son of Ma Haide, with the purpose of inheriting Ma Haide's unfinished business and serving the eradication of leprosy in our country. **The association is mainly engaged in commending and rewarding advanced leprosy workers across the country, carrying out poverty alleviation and education assistance activities to help leprosy patients and their children, condolences to leprosy workers, publicizing and popularizing leprosy scientific knowledge, and eliminating social discrimination and prejudice. The Ma Haide Association has set up the Ma Haide Award, which is selected once a year in the country.
Sichuan Watch (**China News Network).