Stephen Tang

Stephen Chi Yin Tang was born in 1949. He passed peacefully at home early the morning of Friday, September 16, 2022, with his two sons, Kalvin and Ken, and his wife, Selina, by his side. He was 73 years old. The story of Stephen Tang is a story of living the American Dream.

Famine was common in Communist China in the 1950's and the village in the Guangdong province where dad was born was no exception. When he was eight, he was lucky enough to escape by being smuggled from his village to the city of Macau and then by boat to the British-ruled bustling international city of Hong Kong. There he spent most of his childhood and early adult life. His family was unable to afford proper schooling and he was not one for manual labor, so at the age of 23, he decided to seek a better future by immigrating to America to join his aunt, uncle, four young cousins, and his God-Grandparents in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood. He found himself in a cold and rainy place where he didn't speak the language or understand the culture. It was in Seattle that Dad learned to drive, took English classes at the community college, and embraced a new family. It was also there where he developed a love for hospitality while working in one of Seattle's great Chinatown restaurants, the Four Seas. He worked his way up from dishwasher to bus boy and eventually to the coveted head server position, all the while making many lifelong friends. On days off and weekends, Dad explored Seattle, taking in Puget Sound and dining in French restaurants and cafes. He enjoyed taking to the open road and exploring the American West with his best friends from the restaurant, venturing to far-off places in his yellow, two-door, Mercury Capri. Together they camped along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway and road tripped as far as Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Yellowstone National Park. Stephen's friends remember him bringing a rice cooker on the road just to make sure they were well fed at a time when Asian food and people were scarce.

It was five years before Dad had saved enough to begin returning to Hong Kong to visit his family and friends and it was on one such visit, he reacquainted with Selina (Lai Seung), his childhood neighbor and family friend. They quickly rekindled a friendship and fondness for one another, and Dad would return to Hong Kong and visit her several times over the coming years, keeping in touch with handwritten letters between visits. Before long, he knew he wanted to spend his life with her and asked for her hand in marriage. They returned to Seattle together after marrying and began their new life. Mom recalls crying every day upon first immigrating to this new place, thousands of miles away from her loving family back in Hong Kong. But over time they built a new life together. Mom learned to navigate Seattle, she took community college classes and Dad taught her how to drive. Mom also joined the restaurant industry and they worked hard, long hours, but they were able to save and even buy their first house. Dad remembers their mortgage rate as being over 10%.

In 1984, Mom and Dad had the chance to become business owners and open a Chinese restaurant with their friends in the small town of Cody, Wyoming, population >7,000. With the hope that building their own business would afford their future family a better life, they accepted. They worked tirelessly to get the business established. Mom recalls late-night Pizza Hut (the only place open after they closed their own doors) and playing mahjong with the restaurant staff as some of their few enjoyable pastimes. In search of a better opportunity and a bigger town to start a family, they left Cody to open The Mayflower restaurant in Billings, Montana. They later sold the Mayflower and opened their longest-running restaurant, the Jade Palace, also in Billings. The Jade was custom built from the ground up, complete with imported artwork, a lobster tank and fountain, a full bar, two banquet rooms, waitstaff adorned in bowties, and a dining room that sat over 200 guests. Dad's passion for running restaurants lasted nearly four decades before finally retiring from the Jade Palace. Dad was the consummate host and embodied hospitality, especially in his restaurants where he enjoyed taking care of others and sharing conversation with anyone who could spare a moment.

Dad always made sure to provide everything his family needed and many things he never had himself growing up. Not long after Kalvin and Ken were born, they built a custom home on the west end of Billings with plenty of space to run and play. Kalvin and Ken both attended Catholic Schools and together with Dad they golfed in the summertime and skied in the wintertime. When he and Mom had time away from the restaurant, the family would travel and eat together, nurturing his two sons' love for the same enjoyments. Dad shared his passion for travel, and many will remember his stories told about far-off places and the foods he ate.

Dad's quiet humor, kindness, and caring nature are cherished by those who knew him. He was generous and had a subtle charm. He touched many lives through his friendships and through his restaurants where he took care of countless guests and employees, many of whom would call him a dear friend for years to come. He always saw the good in others and remembered those who helped him get to where he was in life. We watched him pay this forward, supporting hard-working employees and sponsoring citizenship for other immigrants, many of whom have started businesses and families and lived their own version of the American Dream. In Chinese tradition, Dad had great respect for his elders, making time to take them out to eat or bring them gifts. He always honored those who came before him.

Dad was also of course known for his legendary appetite. He was always one to order an extra dish (or three) or splurge on a nice meal with his family, friends, or just him and Mom. He loved Mom's Chinese home cooking as much as he loved fine dining, sushi, or a fancy French pastry. As a Seattle cousin of his once shared, “If CT (Chi Tang) is there, you better show up too because you don't want to miss that meal.” His daughters-in-law recount sitting next to him at many a meal where they would look down at their plates to realize Stephen had filled it with the best bits from around the table.

His smile was bright and true and will be missed by many. Although Dad would likely describe himself as risk averse, he took great chances, worked hard, and overcame adversities in his life. He taught by example and lived humbly. His courage to try and willingness to accomplish has taught his family how to continue on. We will remember all his wisdom, his lessons to take care in what we do, to lock the front door, and to not forget to enjoy all the big and little things in life. Dad's passing was his final gesture of leading the way for Mom and his two sons and we look forward to seeing him again someday.

We love and miss you dearly, Dad. We are so proud of you. ~Love, Mom, Kal, and Ken.