Ruby Chow
Ruby Chow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mar Seung Gum (Surname = Mar) June 6, 1920 |
| Died | June 4, 2008 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Restaurant Owner Politician |
| Spouse | Edward Shui "Ping" Chow |
| Children | 5 Edward Chow Jr Shelton Chow Cheryl Chow Brien Chow Mark Chow |
Ruby Chow (June 6, 1920 – June 4, 2008; simplified Chinese: 周马双金; traditional Chinese: 周馬雙金; pinyin: Zhōu Mǎ Shuāngjīn; Jyutping: Chow1 Ma5 Seung1 Gam1) was a Chinese American restaurateur and politician in Seattle, Washington.
Early life
On June 6, 1920 Chow was born as Mar Seung Gum in Seattle, Washington. Chow's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mar, were Chinese immigrants who had came to the United States to work on the railroad lines. [1]
Career
She and her second husband opened Ruby Chow's restaurant in 1948 at 1122 Jefferson Street (at the corner of Broadway & Jefferson) in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood. It was the first Chinese restaurant outside of Seattle's Chinatown. Chow's restaurant staff subsequently included Bruce Lee, the kungfu master.
As a politician, Chow served three terms as a King County councilwoman in Washington. She was the first Asian American elected to King County Council.[2]
The county council named Ruby Chow Park, at the corner of S. Albro Place and 13th Avenue S. (47°32′47″N 122°18′54″W / 47.546381°N 122.315126°W), after Chow in 1985.[3][4]
Personal
Chow's first marriage produced two sons. Chow's second husband was Edward Shui "Ping" Chow (November 5, 1916 - June 29, 2011), who received U.S. Citizenship after he was discharge from United States Army. Chow had five children. Chow's children are Edward Chow Jr, Shelton Chow, Cheryl Chow, Brien Chow, and Mark Chow. [5]
Chow's daughter, Cheryl Chow, served as a member of the Seattle City Council from 1990 to 1997.[6]
Death
Chow died in 2008, two days before her 88th birthday, from heart failure in Seattle, Washington. Chow was survived by her five children and her husband, Edward Shui "Ping" Chow. [7][8][9]
On June 29, 2011, Chow's husband Edward Shui "Ping" Chow passed away. On March 29, 2013, Chow's daughter Cheryl Chow died. [10] On July 22, 2016, Chow's son Edward Chow, Jr died. [11]
References
- ^ Valdes, Manuel. June 8, 2008. Ruby Chow, Seattle’s Chinese-American matriarch, dies"spokesman.com The Spokesman Review". Retrieved Nov 23, 2016.
- ^ Chesley, Frank (2007-01-18). "Chow, Ruby (1920-2008)". HistoryLink. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Council expresses condolences on the passing of former King County Councilmember Ruby Chow, kingcounty.gov; accessed October 19, 2014.
- ^ Eskenazi, Stuart (2008-06-05). "Ruby Chow, first Asian American on King County Council, dead at 87". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ "Legacy.com Edward Shui "Ping" Chow". Retrieved Nov 23, 2016.
- ^ "Cheryl Chow comes out while dying of brain cancer". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
- ^ Obituary, seattle.gov; accessed October 19, 2014.
- ^ Lau, Betty (2008-06-14). "A remembrance of Ruby Chow's extraordinary life". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ^ Wong, Brad (2008-06-11). "Hundreds pay final respects to Ruby Chow". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Apr 5, 2013. Cheryl Chow, educator and former city council member, passes away at 66 "nwasianweekly.com Northwest Asian Weekly". Retrieved Nov 23, 2016.
- ^ Bayang, Ruth. Champion of veterans, Edward Chow, Jr., passes away "nwasianweekly.com Northwest Asian Weekly. July 28, 2016". Retrieved Nov 23, 2016.
External links
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- 1920 births
- 2008 deaths
- King County Councillors
- American politicians of Chinese descent
- American restaurateurs
- Businesspeople from Seattle
- Politicians from Seattle
- American women in business
- American women of Chinese descent in politics
- Women in Washington (state) politics
- 20th-century American politicians
- American business biography, 1920s birth stubs
- Washington (state) politician stubs
- 20th-century American businesspeople