Vigils held for fire victims
Shee Yang is remembered as polite and helpful. His family seeks donations; campus rallies in support
Maurice O. Ndole / The Collegian
Looking at the remains of the charred mobile home of the Yang family, where Fresno State student Shee Yang and his two nieces were killed, a local man tries to hold back his tears. The Yang family lost all their possessions in the fire. |
By Maurice O. Ndole
The Collegian
Relatives, friends and strangers held a candle light vigil yesterday outside a charred mobile home on Locan Avenue north of Bullard Avenue where a fire killed Fresno State student Shee Yang and his two nieces.
Yang’s cousin Paula Yang said the deaths were a great tragedy to the family.
“For Shee it is a tremendous loss, the family had a lot of hope for him after he graduates,” Paula Yang said.
“We all thought he was going to graduate, get a good job and help his family. He leaves a very deep memory for us, his friendship and his kindness.”
Yang, who was a senior majoring in social work and scheduled to graduate in May, touched many lives.
“I remember him as a consistent student. He turned everything in on time. He was a very responsible student,” said Yeng Xiong a field liaison instructor at Fresno State who was Yang’s internship supervisor.
Social work majors are required to complete 15 hours a week in community work. Yang chose to do his volunteer service at Valley Caregiver Resource Center where he is remembered as a kind intern who was exceptional in his duties.
Valley Caregiver provides assistance to individuals caring for relatives suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better student to do an internship here,” Margery Minney, Executive Director of the Valley Caregiver Resource Center said.
Minney said Yang showed kindness and maturity and worked better than any 22-year-old she had ever worked with.
Besides graduating this spring, death also robbed Yang the dream of higher education.
“He had applied for the masters program in the department,” Xiong said.
Family spokesman and Fresno State Social Work field liaison and instructor Bee Yang said the fire left the family with nothing.
“We’re currently dealing with the funeral process and fundraising to support the family because they lost everything,” Bee Yang said.
An account has been set up to help the family pay for its expenses. It is set up at Bank of the West under the name Yang Memorial Fund.
The family is also accepting donations of clothing, cookware and non-perishable items.
In addition, the Asian Social Work Student Organization has set up a donation box at the Department of Social Work in the Psychology and Health Sciences Building room 128 to accept items.
Bee Yang said the funerals are scheduled to take place on separate days from March 28 to April 3.
“In the Hmong tradition, you cannot do one funeral for three people,” he said.
Yang’s funeral is scheduled for April 4 at Palm Memorial Chapel located at 2983 Tulare St. from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. according to a letter from the chapel provided by Paula Yang.
Donations for the family can also be dropped at the chapel.
Bee Yang said there would be a meeting today in Psychology and Health Science Building room 129 regarding the tragedy.
Yang and his nieces Ai and Pakoua died when a fire erupted in their mobile home Sunday night. Nine other family members ranging from age 38 to three escaped.
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