Betty Chen Gee

She is survived by her husband, Gordon; children, Molly, Stephen, Mildred and Gary and grandchildren Michael, Jodie and Joey. Betty was preceded in death by her father, You Chin; her mother, Kam Lun Wong; sisters Alice and Stella; and brothers David and Edward.

Betty was born January 1, 1925 in New York City. Three years later, her mother took Betty and her siblings to Guangzhou, China while her father remained in the United States to work and provide a better life for his family. The Chen clan dealt with many challenges in China before and during World War II but would all be united back in New York City.

Betty met her life partner, Gordon, in 1948. They were married 67 years. After their wedding in Hong Kong, she journeyed with Gordon to Houston, where Gordon and his brothers Albert and Wallace were working and raising families. As a young man, Gordon often held down two and three jobs to make a living. Always fastidious, Betty excelled at raising their family and set a gold standard for hard work and generosity that was also expected of her children.

In 1954, Gordon and Betty’s dream of owning a business became a reality. They opened Gee’s Restaurant at Airline and Crosstimbers and for the next 35 years, Gordon, Betty and the children worked side-by-side as Gee’s Restaurant became known as a great place to get delicious home cooking, whether it was seafood gumbo or egg rolls. With her friendliness, sharp eyes, hearing and mind, Betty was a natural manager, recognizing regular customers and remembering what their favorite dishes were. A superb cook in her own right, she did the same for family and loved to prepare dinners where each of her “favorites” had their favorite dishes.

Betty played basketball in her youth and was an avid Rockets fan. She and Gordon were elders in the Gee Family Association of Houston, which was a core element of their social and community lives.

Above all, Betty loved the Lord. Gordon and Betty were charter members of Chinese Baptist Church. She loved her CBC friends, Chinese Sunday school class, and looked forward to the Rainbow Fellowship activities on Thursdays. Her faithfulness was admired by young and old. Each of her days began and ended with a prayer.