Local tennis great Amy Yee dies at 77

Amy W. Yee, who won nine national titles and was instrumental in building Seattle youth tennis programs, died Monday. She was 77.

Born in Cleveland, Mrs. Yee came to Seattle in 1928. She and her family led a grassroots tennis effort, in which several free clinics were offered at Cleveland High School and later, at the Seattle Tennis Center.

Her national titles included the Chinese national singles in 1955 and 1960, the senior indoor mixed doubles in 1968, the senior hardcourt mixed doubles in 1970, the senior women's 50 singles in 1973, the senior women's 40 indoors singles in 1975, the senior women's 55 doubles in 1978, the senior women's 55 claycourt doubles in 1978 and the senior hardcourt doubles in 1978.

This year, she was honored with a legends award from the Organization of Chinese Americans. In 1990, Mrs. Yee was declared a First Citizen of Seattle by then-Mayor Norm Rice.

A scholarship was established in her name in 1990; and in 1999, she was honored by the U.S. Tennis Association for the Amy Yee Junior Tennis Classic at the Seattle Tennis Center.

"I think that was what she was most proud of," said her daughter, Joyce Yee, of West Seattle.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Seattle Tennis Center, 2000 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. Mrs. Yee is survived by four children, Joyce and Gordon, of Seattle; Linda, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Gary, of New York City; three sisters, Mae Hom, of Seattle; Irene Johnson, of Tacoma; and Alice Louie, of San Francisco; and three grandchildren.

Her family is estimated to have won more than 2,000 tennis titles in all.

Green Funeral Home in Bellevue is handling services.