Obituary of MeeLon Yee

MeeLon Yee (née Pong) passed away peacefully on May 3, 2019 at Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River, NJ at the age of 85.

MeeLon is survived by her husband of 66 years, Victor Tan Bor Yee, her daughter, Judy Yee and her husband, Bill Cunnion of Lakewood, NJ, David Yee and his wife, Jackie of Kinnelon, NJ, Kenneth Yee and his wife, Denise of Brielle, NJ; her three grandsons, Alexander, Brandon, and Christian; She is also survived by her siblings Edward Pong and wife, Sue, of Passaic, NJ, MeeJeb Rose Fusco of Hamburg, NJ , MeeLane Mark of Royal Palm Beach, FL, Wing Den Pong and wife, Barbara of Modesto, CA, sister-in-law Dolores Pong of Passaic, NJ and scores of cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews, and great grandnieces and nephews.  MeeLon is preceded in death by her parents Eng Charlie Pong and Lee Chu Bo Oi Pong, her brother Jerome Pong and sister MeeYing Sue Larkin.

MeeLon was born on December 31, 1933 in Passaic, NJ. She attended Passaic High School and Jersey City State College.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in education from William Paterson College in 1962 and her Master’s Degree in 1970. She married Tan Bor on June 15, 1952 and lived in New York City. The couple and their two children, Judy and David, moved to Ramsey, NJ in 1955, where she and Tan Bor started Yee’s Laundry on East Main Street. Their third child, Kenneth, was born in 1958. 

MeeLon began her career in education as an elementary school teacher with the Allendale Board of Education in 1962.  Her passion and dedication for inspiring young lives spanned 56 years; she taught for 30 years and was a substitute teacher for an additional 26 years. She was the recipient of the A+ for Kids Award in 1990. She was a Life Member of the National Education Association, New Jersey Education Association, NJ Retired Education Association, and the Bergen and Passaic Counties Retired Educators Associations. MeeLon was a Delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly for 38 years, and the Membership/Public Relations Coordinator for the BCREA. She was a parishioner of the First Presbyterian Church of Ramsey, serving as an Elder, Public Relations Coordinator, and member of the Chancel Choir. She also enjoyed being a member of the Ramsey Senior Center Walks Group. If you wanted an event captured in photos, you could always count on MeeLon to be there, camera-in-hand, and snapping away!

Visitation will take place at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481, on Friday, May 10, 2019, from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm.  A Funeral Service will be held at the funeral home on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 10:30 AM with the interment following at East Ridgelawn Cemetery, 255 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to First Presbyterian Building Fund, 15 Shuart Lane, Ramsey, NJ 07446 or BCREA Scholarship Fund, 430 South Maple Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. The family would like to thank the staffs at The Valley Hospital, The Allendale Community for Senior Living, and Villa Marie Claire, for their dedication and care.