Chun "Joe" Fai Yuen

Chun Fai Yuen, August 2, 1936 - January 15, 2022, Vancouver, WA Chun Fai, more commonly known as "Joe" to his friends and acquaintances, lived a full life as a loving husband, father and friend to many. He was born in Guangdong, China to Kevin and Pam Yuen and had two brothers and a younger sister. His life journey brought him to Hong Kong, Canada and then eventually New York where he met his wife, Linda. Joe and Linda married on October 18, 1988 and welcomed their daughter shortly after in 1990. Due to starting a family they decided to move out of the big city and start a new life in Portland, OR. Their family grew again 9 years later when they welcomed their son into the world in 1999. Joe and Linda were both such hard workers; Joe worked in the restaurant business as a cook and sometimes took multiple buses to get to work in early mornings and late evenings to provide for his family. One of his proudest moments was when he and Linda purchased their first home in 1995, a humble home in the suburbs of Portland to create loving memories for their growing family. He was always devoted and cared for his in-laws like his own parents who also lived in their new home. This first home housed some of the most loving memories of Joe, he loved to bike after dinner, fry chicken in the garage on Sunday's and he loved to cook large family meals in his own kitchen. His knowledge and expertise in the restaurant industry led him to guide him and Linda in their journey to owning their own restaurant. After Linda was laid off from the banking industry, they decided to take a chance and start their own business together. Joe was 67 at this time when most are looking at retirement but his drive to provide for his family set him on the journey of being a restaurateur. They first started in a small restaurant lease with less than 6 tables in the quaint little town of McMinneville, OR. The people of McMinneville loved Joe's cooking and in 2000 Joe and Linda purchased their first restaurant in the industrial area of Vancouver, WA where the name Regent first started. He was so proud and so dedicated to this business; it was so important to Joe that everyone left his restaurant feeling full and happy so his plates often overflowed with food that he cooked with passion. In 2003, Joe and Linda sold their business in Vancouver and in 2004 went all-in on the Regent in Longview, WA (previously known as The Woodshed), a 10,000 square foot restaurant, bar and entertainment space. Joe was a phenomenal Chinese chef but knew nothing about cooking American cuisine, he was relentless in learning how to cook American food and often served as the chef for both kitchens. He woke up at 6am every morning to open the restaurant and stayed up until the last customer left the bar. He was so passionate about his business that he wanted to be open extended hours 7 days a week and 365 days a year. He loved chatting with all of his customers and making sure that they thoroughly enjoyed their food. He was always present, he loved sitting in the dining area or the bar to be with his customers and talk to everyone. Joe is survived by his wife Linda, daughter Maggie and son Michael. He passed with the three people that loved and cared for him most in this world all by his side and holding his hand as he went. He was always so proud of his family and kids and loved them very much but often found it difficult to express his love and emotions. Knowing this, it was heartwarming to hear his last words being "I love you too" to each of his family members before he passed. He dedicated his life to working hard, providing for his family and bringing others joy through his food and jokes. Joe was loved dearly and will be missed greatly. For those who are interested in attending Joe's celebration of life: Sunday, January 30, 2022 from 2pm-5pm Regent Restaurant and Lounge 3353 Washington Way, Longview, WA 98632