Golden Wok chef and co-owner dies suddenly

It happened unexpectedly — one minute the much beloved Wu Yang was working in the kitchen at the Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant where so many had come to know and love him — the next minute he was struck by a brain aneurism. Yang, 48, was immediately taken to Sharon Hospital; he was later taken by ambulance to Albany Medical Center. That was on Thursday, Aug. 21, around 7 p.m.; he passed away days later on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 3:20 p.m.His former wife, Amy Yang, whom he continued to work side-by-side with in the restaurant they co-owned, remembered the time exactly. She also remembers her longtime partner, friend and former husband, and father to their four children, just as clearly.“He was smart, a gentleman, a nice guy. He tried to get good things for everybody, to help everybody,” she said. “He was 100 percent a good guy, with his own personality. And he loved Millerton.”And Millerton loved Wu. Wu and Amy met while working at her father’s restaurant in Waterbury, Conn., in the 1990s. At that time, Wu was living in New York City. The pair moved to Millerton in 1995 and opened the Golden Wok as partners in 1996. They married in 1996 at the Town Hall in Salisbury, Conn., and remained married for 11 years. They had four children together: Jenny, 17 (Wu chose to name her after the popular TV host Jenny Jones), Julima, 14, Jet, 12, and Jayden, 8. The other names were chosen by Amy’s brother, Kim Yeung.Close friend Leo Flood said the whole family was close, and remained so after the divorce. They were also well liked by both customers and friends, he said. “They were loved by the community,” Flood said. “Wu, I tell you, what a gentleman he was. He was happy to meet you and be a part of Millerton — he was always in a good mood and very pleasant to be around. It strikes me that they were such a positive force in Millerton.”Flood first met them when Amy came to town and needed an apartment and commercial space, later followed by a home and more space.“We built a friendship,” Flood said. “I’m not sure of the timeline … but it’s an interesting and enlightening friendship. I’m so honored to be there for them now.”Lisa Story also knew Wu, though she said it was her father who was closest with him. A student of the Chinese language, her father would often visit with Wu right in the kitchen, where they would chat and laugh, and, of course, eat.“I think although he was much more behind the scenes in the restaurant than Amy, he was always a friendly face and welcoming person,” Story said. “It’s just a shock that he is gone so suddenly and so young. He was really special to my dad as was his family, and I’m sorry for all of them.”And while not as close as her father, Story said she, too, has memories to hold onto.“I loved going in, probably not quite weekly, and he seemed like a kind and gentle man, and was always friendly and welcoming to me,” she said. Wu Yang will be remembered at a private family service at Conklin Funeral Home in Millerton on Thursday, Sept. 4. Calling hours for the public will be on Friday, Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a procession at 12:30 p.m. from the funeral home to the Irondale Cemetery. There will be a 12:45 p.m. graveside service. Click here for a full obituary.