Jack Louie 雷澤榆
March 20, 1933 — December 30, 2020
Jack Yee Louie (雷澤榆) was born on March 20, 1933, in Taishan, Guangdong Province. Jack and his brother were raised primarily by his mother in Taishan while his father worked in the United States. The family endured much hardship and poverty during the tumultuous times of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Jack was forced to leave school after 10th grade to start working. His first job was working the midnight shift scrubbing buses.
On May 11, 1958, Jack landed in Philadelphia. He was twenty-five years old when he met his father for the first time since his birth. Jack worked at a Chinatown restaurant six days a week, spending his day off learning English from Mitzie Mackenzie at the Chinese Christian Church and Center (CCC&C) – his first exposure to Christianity. Within a few years, he was able to bring his mother to the United States.
In 1963, Jack returned to Hong Kong where he met and married Yuen Ha Wu (胡婉霞) after a short courtship. Shortly after, Jack had to resume work in Philadelphia, leaving his pregnant wife in Hong Kong. Not until 1964 when Yuen Ha was granted immigration status to the U.S. that Jack got to meet his four-month-old daughter for the first time. In short succession, Jack and his wife had five children: Mae Jane, Godfrey, Evelyn, Mabel and Irene.
Working diligently and living thriftily, Jack saved enough to purchase a three-story row house in Chinatown for all three generations of his family. He opened up his own restaurant, China Boy, where husband and wife worked for 14 years. After selling the restaurant, they ran their own lunch truck on the University of Pennsylvania campus where their eldest daughter and son were attending.
Jack retired at age 62, but his volunteer role as an influential community leader in Chinatown never stopped. Over the years, Jack had generously sponsored many families to the United States and helped many find work. He took up Chinese opera and karaoke, enjoyed playing MahJong, and took a few trips to China and Hong Kong with his wife and friends. Yet Jack’s greatest joy was spending time with his devoted wife of 57 years and visiting with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Jack would never miss any of their birthdays or milestone accomplishments regardless of the distance he had to travel.
Following the death of his eldest daughter in 2008, Jack turned his life over to Jesus and became a Christian. He now joins her in Heaven and is survived on Earth by his wife, children along with their spouses, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Jack endured adversity and hardship with much grace and kindness throughout his life’s journey. He always had the heart and eyes to see the best in people and was quick to forgive without holding a grudge. Without fail, Jack was accepting, open and supportive of his family's choices in life. He relished in joy when spending time with his loved ones. Children especially brought out the best in him and the love and care he showed them will forever remain etched in their hearts. A Chinese proverb says, “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” While Jack may not be successful or rich from a worldly perspective, his family considers him a polished gem. Truly, a life well lived, Jack will be greatly missed!
In lieu of flowers, gifts in Jack Yee’s memory may be made to the Mitzie Mackenzie Fund. Checks may be made payable to CCC&C (225 N. 10th Street, Phila, PA 19107), notating ‘Mitzie Fund (JYee)’ on the memo line.
Please Enjoy The Video Link Of Jack Louie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPcKtnvkMJY&feature=youtu.be
On May 11, 1958, Jack landed in Philadelphia. He was twenty-five years old when he met his father for the first time since his birth. Jack worked at a Chinatown restaurant six days a week, spending his day off learning English from Mitzie Mackenzie at the Chinese Christian Church and Center (CCC&C) – his first exposure to Christianity. Within a few years, he was able to bring his mother to the United States.
In 1963, Jack returned to Hong Kong where he met and married Yuen Ha Wu (胡婉霞) after a short courtship. Shortly after, Jack had to resume work in Philadelphia, leaving his pregnant wife in Hong Kong. Not until 1964 when Yuen Ha was granted immigration status to the U.S. that Jack got to meet his four-month-old daughter for the first time. In short succession, Jack and his wife had five children: Mae Jane, Godfrey, Evelyn, Mabel and Irene.
Working diligently and living thriftily, Jack saved enough to purchase a three-story row house in Chinatown for all three generations of his family. He opened up his own restaurant, China Boy, where husband and wife worked for 14 years. After selling the restaurant, they ran their own lunch truck on the University of Pennsylvania campus where their eldest daughter and son were attending.
Jack retired at age 62, but his volunteer role as an influential community leader in Chinatown never stopped. Over the years, Jack had generously sponsored many families to the United States and helped many find work. He took up Chinese opera and karaoke, enjoyed playing MahJong, and took a few trips to China and Hong Kong with his wife and friends. Yet Jack’s greatest joy was spending time with his devoted wife of 57 years and visiting with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Jack would never miss any of their birthdays or milestone accomplishments regardless of the distance he had to travel.
Following the death of his eldest daughter in 2008, Jack turned his life over to Jesus and became a Christian. He now joins her in Heaven and is survived on Earth by his wife, children along with their spouses, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Jack endured adversity and hardship with much grace and kindness throughout his life’s journey. He always had the heart and eyes to see the best in people and was quick to forgive without holding a grudge. Without fail, Jack was accepting, open and supportive of his family's choices in life. He relished in joy when spending time with his loved ones. Children especially brought out the best in him and the love and care he showed them will forever remain etched in their hearts. A Chinese proverb says, “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” While Jack may not be successful or rich from a worldly perspective, his family considers him a polished gem. Truly, a life well lived, Jack will be greatly missed!
In lieu of flowers, gifts in Jack Yee’s memory may be made to the Mitzie Mackenzie Fund. Checks may be made payable to CCC&C (225 N. 10th Street, Phila, PA 19107), notating ‘Mitzie Fund (JYee)’ on the memo line.
Please Enjoy The Video Link Of Jack Louie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPcKtnvkMJY&feature=youtu.be
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