Sam Yee, 77, Dies; Restaurateur And Chinese-American Leader

More than 500 people, including leaders in Chinese-American communities up and down the West Coast, are expected at Sam Yee's funeral at 1 p.m. today in Butterworth-Manning-Ashmore Funeral Home, 300 E. Pine St.

"He was a pioneer among Chinese Americans," said his son, Victor Yee of Seattle. "My father was probably the highest Hop Sing Tong (fraternity) member in Seattle."

Were it not for a twist of fate, Mr. Yee would not have settled in Seattle, let alone become a top restaurateur.

When the Canton native first came to the United States in 1939, he decided to go home as soon as he earned a return passage because U.S. immigration officials had detained and interrogated him 30 days.

"I did not want to enter the U.S. because I felt that I would be treated badly," he told Ron Chew, author of the book "Reflections of Seattle's Chinese Americans."

The second time Mr. Yee emigrated here, in 1942, he had no choice: The Japanese were occupying Hong Kong, where he had gone after working eight months in Seattle selling lottery tickets, then a common job for Chinese Americans.

Ironically, it was a lottery ticket he bought with a customer's 50-cent tip that won him $1,000 to open a bar in the International District, setting him on his career.

Mr. Yee died of complications of pneumonia Dec. 25. He was 77.

He became a farmer in the Kent Valley in World War II "to avoid having to enlist in the military," he said. After the war he worked as a dry cleaner and operated a grocery selling rice.

Mr. Yee saved enough money by 1947 to open the Hong Kong Restaurant on Maynard Avenue South.

"It had 12 stools at first," said his son. "Then he added 12 booths, a lower dining room, a bar and, finally, another dining room. He ran that restaurant 37 years and sold it at a good profit in 1984 - to some businessmen from Hong Kong."

Mr. Yee got his "schooling" at work.

His first involvement with community organizations was in 1939, when he began to play traditional Chinese musical instruments in the Luck Ngi Musical Club. Mr. Yee played into his late 70s; the group raised funds for Kin On Nursing Home.

Mr. Yee was president of Chong Wa Benevolent Association for 15 years, and was president of Hop Sing Tong and the Soo Yuen Family Association.

After retiring he taught Chinese opera and played percussion in an orchestra.

Other survivors include his wife of 43 years, Sue Yee of Seattle; his sons Bennett Yee and Kenford Yee, also of Seattle; his daughters, On Lar Look of Seattle, Lily Tse of Sunnyvale, Calif., Edna Chan of Castro Valley, Calif., and Clara Yee of Vancouver, Wash.; his sisters, Gin Yew Kam of Hong Kong and Wai Yin Wong of Seattle; his brother, Fred Chinn of Seattle; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.