May Yen Yue

May Yen Tang Yue (Mayen), 88, went to be with the Lord on July 23, 2024. Mayen was born on January 21,1936 in Phoenix, Arizona and was the tenth of twelve children born to Kim Shee and Yee Shee Tang. Her siblings – Don, Jack, Lang, Ying, Ben, Sam, KC, May Jane, Helen, Betty, and Dick – with so many of them, the older ones would help take care of the younger ones while their parents worked the long hours at their family grocery store.

Mayen attended Glendale High School, where all twelve of the Tang children had graduated from. An article was written about it which was published in The Glendale Herald. After high school, Mayen attended Phoenix College and received her nursing certificate at Good Samaritan Nursing School. A photo of her and other nursing graduates still hang in the halls of Good Samaritan Hospital, now known as Banner University Medical Center Phoenix.

In the summer of 1955, while still attending Phoenix College, Mayen met Joe Yue. They dated for many years and attended dances, bowling and group dates and in July of 1960, they were married in Las Vegas. Mayen and Joe started their family together with the birth of their children Michelle, Edward, Jacque and Michael. She put her nursing career aside to raise and take care of her family. Mayen was very independent and shared her talents with her family and friends from being a great seamstress to an amazing family chef.

Mayen loved spending time taking vacations with her family and siblings’ families. Oftentimes, the siblings would load up their cars and meet at various destinations so that the families could be together. She also found time to hike the Grand Canyon and walked the 5K’s during the Phoenix Chinese Week celebrations. Mayen always put her family first and made sure they were taken care of before herself. She loved all of her grandchildren and great-grandchild and was known for her special desserts in which she has shared her secret recipes with them. As busy as she was, she still found time to attend music concerts, sporting events and many, many graduations.

She was a long-time member of First Chinese Baptist Church in Phoenix, where she shared much of her time and talents in the various ministries there including accounting, teaching Sunday School and foodservice. Mayen always greeted her church family with her warm smile and kind disposition and was willing to help wherever she was able to. Mayen was loved by so many and will be missed by all those who knew her.

Mayen is survived by her loving husband of 64 years Joe Yue, sister Betty (John) Lee, children Michelle and Reicher Dong, Edward Yue and Foong Lian Chew, Jacque and Jeff Song, Michael and Kim Yue, grandchildren Randon and Christine Dong, Brenton Dong, Larissa and Herman Lee, Ariane and Brandon Cusanek, Alexis Dong, Alyssa and Owen Williams, Karsen Yue, Mikayla Yue, and Madison Yue, great-grandchildren Averie, Amber, David, Abigail, Audra, Mila, Ezra, Luka, Jackson, and Liam (on the way).

Services will be held at Greenwood Memory Lawn Serenity Chapel, 719 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix on Saturday, August 10, 2024. Visitation will be 9:00 am, followed by services starting at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to First Chinese Baptist Church, 4910 E. Earll Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85018.