Tow Hank Yee

Tow Hank Yee was born in the town of Sonoma, and except for twenty years spent in Poulsbo, WA, lived his entire life in the town he loved best. He was "old Sonoma", and often fondly reminisced about his "Leave It To Beaver" childhood in a town where it was impossible to get into too much trouble because "everybody knew everybody." He passed away on July 12, 2026 after a heroic 11 year battle with cancer. A devoted family man, he will be remembered for his kindness and integrity, and always trying to do "the right thing."

He was a graduate of Sonoma Valley High School, Santa Rosa Junior College, and Chico State University where he earned his BSc in electrical engineering. He completed a 40 year career with the Department of Defense, first at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and finally at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. He claimed that the best things about his long career were the friendships he made along the way and later, mentoring the many young engineers he hired to continue the work of keeping his country safe.

In his own words, he lived the life he chose and without regrets, having accomplished all the things he considered most important in life. Without doubt, he considered his family his single greatest accomplishment and he was a wonderful father and husband, always available to his wife and children. His children have fond memories of his playful nature and sense of humor.

In his early years, he enjoyed outdoor pursuits including mountaineering, skiing, hiking, and fishing. He traveled widely both for work and pleasure and made many friends along the way. In a serendipitous encounter on a train in Spain in 1978, he met a young Canadian woman whom he would later marry. Family camping trips were an annual tradition, later supplanted by travel to support his children's athletic pursuits. Some of his favorite memories were of coaching his kids in soccer and baseball. He was infinitely curious, loved learning new things, and was well-known for always having several projects on the go. He was a tinkerer at heart and took pride in being able to engineer a solution to almost any fixable problem. He single-handedly remodeled the family home three times and was a great resource for family and friends who sought his advice. His workshop was his happy place.

Tow is survived by his wife of forty-one years, Janice Yee (née Van de Putte); children Daniel Yee (Christine), Andrew Yee (Priscilla), and daughter Ana Yee; three grandchildren; sister Dean Yee Leong (James, deceased); and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wing and Judy Yee, brother Kou Shui Yee (Shun Yu Cheung), and sister Lei Yee Poncia (Vernon, deceased).

A Celebration of Life will be held from 11:30 - 2:00, Saturday, November 21st, at the hall at Trinity Episcopal Church, 275 E. Spain Street, Sonoma, CA. Please let us know by November 6th if you are able to attend via the link below. https://forms.gle/SUAwHUD2Ux2YNg1H6

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