Tyrone Gee Foo Chin

Tyrone Gee Foo Chin

陳子富

Honorable Son, Brother, Father,

Grandfather, Husband, and Friend

Tyrone Gee Foo Chin passed away peacefully in his sleep with loved ones by his side on April 2nd, 2021. He was an honorable son, brother, father, grandfather, husband, and friend to everyone around him. Tyrone Gee Foo Chin was born on November 15th, 1933, to Wong Ngook Sheung and Chin Fook Him in Toyshan District, Kwangtung Province, China. When asked what his childhood was like, he told a story of how his protective mother thought Tyrone was too small to go to school. She had him wait until she felt he was big enough at eight years old to attend school. His favorite subjects were Math and Chinese.

He immigrated to the United States in 1951 on the Steamship President Cleveland to be with his grandfather and uncles. His fierce work ethic began early in life. He worked in restaurants as a dishwasher but also learned to cook by closely observing the chefs. He also worked in the laundry industry with the Park-Li family who had so graciously taken him in. He shared many memories growing up with the family.

In 1956, Tyrone met Helen Tom at City College. They married two years later, on September 24th, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church.

In 1958, Tyrone was drafted into the army where he served in Korea as a clerk. He was honorably discharged in 1960 with a Good Conduct Medal and (rifle) Marksman designation.

In 1960, Tyrone and Helen welcomed their first child, and over the next ten years, five more children completed the family unit. As the family grew, Tyrone took on multiple jobs to provide for the household. Working 2-3 shifts a day, we remember Mom packing him lunch for his graveyard shifts.

When he got his first house, it was condemned. We can still hear him hammering the nails into the back stairway, promising to bring the entire building back up to code.

Tyrone was very devoted to his family. In addition to caring for his immediate family, Tyrone was instrumental in bringing his parents and his siblings to the United States. Once they arrived, he helped them establish residency in the States. It was quite an emotional moment when Tyrone and his parents were reunited in 1979, after more than twenty-five years of separation.

Even in retirement, Tyrone worked tirelessly to keep his businesses flourishing. He co-owned and operated, Indulge, a small coffee shop, and maintained and improved his properties.

Even with such a busy work life, there was still some time for fun. Tyrone took our family on many vacations to Lake Tahoe. Our dad loved to play blackjack, and even taught some of us to play the game. With his wife, Helen, he enjoyed traveling to China, spending time in Hawaii, and relaxing on cruise ships.

Tyrone had a great love for food. He introduced us to traditional dishes as well as exotic delights. We had our share of bird’s nest soups and hearty rib-eye steaks. He treated us to some of the best restaurants during family birthdays and holidays. He enjoyed trying

new food trends like Churrascarias, Hot Pots, and Korean barbeques.

Tyrone was predeceased by his parents, his wife, Helen, and his son, Patrick. He is survived by his children: Tyrena (and Mike Eddy), Wendy (and David Cheung), Natalie (and Terrence Louie), Tracey Wong (daughter-in-law), Letitia (and Rick Wong), and Lawrence; his grandchildren: Brian, Christopher, Daniel, Eric, Kathleen, Samantha, Melanie, Laura, Alyssa, Mitchell, Rielle, and Brady as well as siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Today we celebrate a life well-lived by sharing stories. Please feel free to share your story with the family. We would love to hear them.

The family would like to thank Dr. Sumie Iwasaki for her vigilance and patience in caring for Tyrone, and Tasha Yuen for her guidance through our dad’s transition.

Donations may be made to the charity of your choice in Tyrone’s memory.

We can also do the Zoom meeting.

Please add on that people will need to reach out to Tyrena at [email protected] to get the link.

Please request that they put request for link in the subject line.