AABANY is saddened by the news of the passing of Norman Lau Kee. He was a true pioneer in the Asian American legal profession, being among the first Chinese American lawyers to serve the community in New York’s Chinatown. He also served and led the community through his involvement with the Chinatown YMCA, the Chinese-American Planning Council and the US Asia Institute. AABANY named its Trailblazer Award, presented at the Fall Conference, after Norman Lau Kee. His son Glenn is a Past President of AABANY and was the first Asian American President of the New York State Bar Association.
We send our condolences to Glenn and the Lau Kee family. Below are further details about the wake and giving donations in lieu of flowers.
It is with sadness that the Lau Kee family announces the passing away of Norman Lau Kee on November, 9, 2017. Mr. Kee was a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Fordham University School of Law, and served in the US Navy. He began the practice of law in 1956 as the third Chinese-American lawyer to practice in Chinatown. A great civic leader, Mr. Kee also served as Chairman of the Federal Advisory Commission to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, on the New York City Commission of Human Rights, and on the boards of several community organizations. He helped to found the Chinatown YMCA and the US Asia Institute, and was the recipient of numerous civic awards. He was also a sailor, skier and opera lover.
Norman Lau Kee is survived by his wife, Esther; children Glenn, Deborah, Laura Ann, Gail, Valerie; eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. The wake will be held in New York on November 27, 2017, 3:00 pm at Ng Fook Funeral home at 36 Mulberry Street, New York, NY. A memorial event will held in Washington DC on December 7th at the US Asia Institute at 6:00 pm. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the New York Chinatown YMCA ([email protected]) or to the US Asia Institute in Washington DC (contact [email protected]).