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In Memoriam

Legendary country music icon Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, 2026 at age 80. Parton was a beloved singer-songwriter, philanthropist and businesswoman who donated funds to establish her Imaginary Library to benefit young children globally. Courtesy photo of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

California leads in dedicating September 25 as annual Dolly Parton Day in honor of the American icon’s legacy of love

SAN FRANCISCO —

  • Ted Fang died on September 9, 2024 at the age of 61. When I read the news, it brought back a lot of memories.

    Ted Fang, first Asian publisher of newspapers in US metro cities, passed away on September 9, 2024 at the age of 61. He was the publisher of Independent, Asian Week and San Francisco Examiner. Courtesy Max Millard

  • （SAN FRANCISCO）Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) presented an In Memoriam resolution at State Capitol on February 12 to commemorate Chinese American Tenderloin leader Connie Moy who passed away on November 17, 2023 at the age of 93.

    Assemblymember Matt Haney presented an In Memoriam resolution at State Capitol to commemorate Tenderloin leader Connie Moy who passed away in November 2023 at 93. Courtesy Haney's office

  • Editor's Note:

    Connie Moy came to the United States as an immigrant at the age of 17 through marriage. Courtesy Siu Han Cheung

  • (SAN FRANCISCO) Tenderloin is a neighborhood known for open drug markets, homelessness, and violent crime. But Tenderloin is also one of the Asian neighborhoods in San Francisco with most of its Asian residents living in the affordable and senior housing facilities.

    In 2014, Connie Moy co-founded Tenderloin Chinese Rights Association whose membership has grown to 300 in 10 years. Courtesy Siu Han Cheung

  • (SAN FRANCISCO) Members of the Chinese community mourn the loss of U. S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer, great leader and dear friend who always listened to the Chinese community for over half of a century.

    Dianne Feinstein (center) always joined the gatherings in Chinatown and took photo with Secretary of State March Fong Yu (right) and Chinatown leader Jack Lee (left). Photo by Ben Kwan

  • Mr. James Wing Chow was a proud yet modest man who believed in and exemplified the virtues of self-reliance, self-respect, hard work, fidelity to family, reading, study and higher education, gumption, thrift, and respect and kindness for his fellow human beings.

    James Chow owned a store, The Fashion Center, in San Francisco Chinatown in early days. His son Chris Chow (second from far right) made history as the first Asian American TV news reporter in the Bay Area in 1970. Courtesy Chris Chow

  • (SAN FRANCISCO) Benny Yee, a long serving federal, state and San Francisco city commissioner, business and political leader, passed away on July 9 at the age of 91.

    Benny Yee (center) served on numerous federal, state and city boards and commissions since 1970s. Then Mayor Dianne Feinstein spoke at the event with Yee. Photo by Ben Kwan

  • (SAN FRANCISCO) Former San Francisco Supervisor Tom Hsieh had rewritten Chinese American history in many aspects as an elected official and professionally trained architect. Hsieh passed away in San Francisco at the age of 91 on March 5.

    Tom Hsieh was first appointed to the Board of Supervisors in 1986. He ran for re-election and became the first Chinese American elected to city wide office in the history of San Francisco. Photo by Ben Kwan

  • (SAN FRANCISCO) Retired California Appellate Court Presiding Justice Harry Low continuously made history for the Chinese community in his 65-year legal career. He kept working as a private judge at JAMS, a legal mediation and arbitration service provider, until he passed away on December 9 at the age of 90.

    Justice Harry Low was sworn in as the first Chinese American judge in San Francisco in 1966. Courtesy Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA)