Visitors from around the world come to Yee Tock Chee Park in Sausalito for its sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, and the San Francisco Bay. But across Bridgeway, the “Marin Fruit Co.” sign embedded in the stucco above 605 Bridgeway points to a rich, lesser-known part of Sausalito’s history — the legacy of Yee Tock Chee, affectionately known as Willie, a businessman and generous community leader who helped shape the city’s downtown more than a century ago.  

Willie emigrated from Ch’ang On Village in China in the early 1900s. Like many Chinese immigrants who came to the West Coast during this time, he passed through Angel Island and endured interrogations under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was repealed in 1943. 

Shortly after arriving in the United States, Willie moved to Sausalito to work for Wing Mow Lung, a family friend and owner of Marin Fruit Company, a local grocery store. The grocers used a two-wheel horse-drawn cart to deliver food and supplies to Sausalito residents throughout town, according to a 1975 Marin Scope article. Willie bought the business from Lung in 1919 for $350 and lived in an apartment above the grocery store with his family.

Janice Foong, Willie’s granddaughter, grew up in San Francisco and would cross the bridge to visit Willie with her parents and siblings. Her mother, Jacqueline Yee Choy, was the youngest of Willie’s five children. Janice has vivid memories of her grandfather and the store, with hanging paper bags from the ceiling, the oversized antique cash register, and a wooden ladder to retrieve canned goods for customers.

“Every time I come to Sausalito, I always just get this warm, fuzzy feeling,” Janice said, standing outside Marin Fruit Company on a warm spring day. 

Darryl Choy, Willie’s grandson and Janice’s brother, remembers his grandfather always saving him the end of the Columbus salami from the deli when he visited.

“My memories of him always involve eating a snack,” Darryl said.

But Willie was not just a generous grandfather; he was also a giving community leader. During the Great Depression, Willie would go out of his way to make sure people had what they needed to survive, whether they could afford it at the time or not. Willie became the generous “town banker,” according to Marin Scope, allowing people to borrow money and goods during the hardest of times. He also delivered hard-to-find supplies to residents living up on the hill.

“He would let people be on credit and not worry about it,” Janice said. “He thought of others so much and gave, and gave, and gave.”

“He was so helpful to anyone in need,” said Darwin Choy, the youngest of Willie’s 16 grandchildren.

Darryl remembers customers asking his grandfather why he stayed in Sausalito rather than exploring other parts of the United States. He remembers his grandfather explaining that Sausalito was a place people from all over the world came to visit.

“He would say, ‘The world comes to visit me,’” Darryl said. “He truly loved his work because it was heaven.”

About a week after Willie died in 1975 at the age of 83, the City Council voted to rename Princess Park after Yee Tock Chee, Willie’s full name. Nathan and Theodora Yee, Willie’s son and daughter-in-law, took over the store after Willie retired. The store closed in the 1990s due to rising rent, according to SFGATE. 

The family now visits the park to remember their grandfather and the incredible legacy he left behind in Sausalito. Standing in the park also brings back memories of their mother, Jacqueline.

“We miss her when we come here,” Darwin said.

Darryl, Janice, and Darwin were all present at Yee Tock Chee Park’s dedication ceremony in 1977. Mayor Sally Stanford and the council installed a plaque describing Willie as a business owner “who was a never-ending source of friendship and help for many Sausalitans in need. To know him was to love him.”

“It was a beautiful tribute,” Janice said.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the park’s dedication, and the park is as beautiful as ever. Public Works Supervisor Oscar Lucario has planted artichokes, fava beans, strawberries, and native plants in the park in honor of Willie’s life and work. The family wants visitors to understand the rich history embedded in Sausalito’s waterfront.

“We want it to last at least another 50 years,” Darwin said.