Obituary of Kin Yeung

Kin Yeung, restaurant entrepreneur, passed away one minute past midnight on Monday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and son by his side. He was 66. The cause was mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix - a rare form of cancer for which perhaps 500 cases in the world are reported annually. Because so little is known of this disease, even with the best care and technology available, doctors were unable to halt the speed for which the cancer metastasized in his digestive tract. Within four months of diagnosis, Kin was in intensive care where he fought valiantly for three weeks until the cancer ultimately took over his entire digestive tract and caused massive organ failure. Born in Canton, China in 1947, at age 25, he and his beloved wife of 41 years, Yuk Ching, escaped the chaos of the Cultural Revolution and braved the treacherous waters of the South China Sea, swimming for five hours and making it to the shores of Hong Kong. From there, they were able to immigrate to America where he made his way as a chef in the restaurant kitchens and she as a seamstress in the garment factories of New York's old Chinatown. Throughout his life, Kin worked relentlessly in pursuit of the American Dream. As daringly as he planned his escape from China, his entrepreneurial spirit guided him to opportunities in the most unlikely of places. Like the pioneers of old, he went on to start his own enterprise - a Chinese restaurant in Spearfish, South Dakota. With diligence and his devoted family at his side, he eventually went on to expand his holdings to include two other restaurants in South Dakota. Friends recall fondly Kin's easy going style and sense of humor. He loved his friends as he loved living life - to the fullest. He was always a dreamer and eternal optimist who believed firmly that America was the best country in the world, the land of opportunity and that having made it here was his life's greatest accomplishment. He passed suddenly and far too soon from this world. His son and only child, Martin, often notes with reverence how if not for his father's daring courage and unflinching vision of opportunity in America, he would never have had a chance to achieve any of his own life's proudest accomplishments, including earning his B.A. from Stanford and an M.S. from Carnegie Mellon. Martin used his education to commit himself to public service and benefit the citizens of the land Kin came to love so dearly. The accomplishments of his son meant all the more to Kin as he himself never had the opportunity to attend college. Indeed, their family is the embodiment having achieved the American Dream. Mr. Yeung is survived by his wife, Yuk Ching, and his son, Martin Yeung of Washington D.C. His other remaining family members include one sister, Song Hua, and four brothers, Yeung Bao, Yeung Hon, Yeung Jiaq. Services and visitation will be held at Kraft and Sussman funeral home at 3975 South Durango Drive, Suite 104, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89147 on Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 2:00 PM. Contributions and flowers can be sent to the home and are deeply appreciated by the family. Flowers may be ordered through U.S. Flowers & Silks, (800) 598-8239, www.usflowersandsilks.com