Support for Kimlee Tang's Family in Their Loss

Hi all,

With great sadness, we announce the passing of Kimlee Tang on January 22, 2025. Kimlee was the beloved wife of Vattanak Bour; mother of her daughters Sokina, Sokita, and Krisna; and sister of Heng Kim and How Kim.

On Saturday, January 18th, our dad took our mom to the ER at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland after she said she was having difficulty breathing. That night, she had a blood transfusion because her red blood cell count was very low. Our mom’s hospital stay lasted for four days. Whenever she was asked how she felt, her only response was that she was tired. Eating, talking, and walking to and from the bathroom exhausted her. On Tuesday, January 21st, Kimlee went home; she was still very weak and provided with oxygen support to help her breathe. The following day, she collapsed when she was trying to get up to walk, and our dad called 911. Paramedics performed chest compressions and rushed her to the ER, where she eventually passed away.

Prior to our mom’s unexpected passing, she was experiencing shortness of breath and it was difficult for her to walk. She was taking medication for Rheumatoid arthritis, and we thought she was possibly experiencing harsh side effects from her medication. However, recent scans and tests indicated to doctors that she possibly had lymphoma. Our family is still awaiting her biopsy results.

Our mom, Kimlee, is greatly missed by our family and close friends, many of whom joined our dad, my sisters and me for 7 days of Buddhist prayer chanting at our family home.

Our mom enjoyed cooking, gardening, going to the temple, and spending time with family and friends. She was known to work very hard to financially support our family and often worked overtime. When we were younger, she cleaned houses on the weekends to make additional income. When our dad stopped working due to health issues, there was a span of at least 10 years when she was the sole income provider. Some of our mom’s friends commented that they were so happy to see my mom start traveling. Last year, she visited our relatives in France, and she also vacationed in Mexico and Hawaii!

**Thank you to our relatives and family friends who visited from near and far to offer your condolences and support. Your generosity in taking the time to provide food and drinks during the weeklong Buddhist prayers is greatly appreciated. Being in the company of so many people who loved and cared for our mom brought us a great deal of comfort.

We’re very thankful for the cash donations we’ve already received, which are enough to cover funeral expenses. Additional monetary contributions will go toward our mom’s hospital bills and household bills.**

-Sokina, Sokita & Krisna

Kimlee’s Obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/seattle-wa/kimlee-tang-12221406