Sophie Yee

Sophie Yee (née Pastwa), 94, of Dumont, NJ, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of her family on October 22, 2025. Pre-deceased by her husband, Henry Yee (1997). Loving mother of Helen Yee (sp. Dominick Mattina), Wanda Yee (sp. John McCrudden). Cherished Babcia of five grandchildren; Kelley McCrudden (sp. Adam Waszczak), Natalie McCrudden (sp. Stephen Murphy), Maggie McCrudden (sp. MacKenzie Zink), Christopher Mattina (sp. Yu Ann Tan), and Alex Mattina. She was a proud Prababcia of six great-grandchildren; Winnie McCrudden, James McCrudden, John Wesley McCrudden, Miles Murphy, Rory Murphy, and Charlotte Zink. Dear sister of Anna McKiewicz. She deeply valued her role as a surrogate Ciocia, Babcia and friend to many.

Sophie was born in the little town of Radziejow, a suburb of Poznan, Poland to her mother Maria (née Korbonsdki) and Stefan Pastwa. The daughter of a schoolteacher, the family was actively involved in their community. Her life was unequivocably altered by World War II when the Nazi Party occupied Poland. Her family was separated for many years with her father captured as a prisoner of war. Her family's involvement in the underground resistance and aiding their Jewish friends and neighbors ultimately led to their imprisonment in a concentration camp and eventual relocation to a Lebensborn Aryan Race camp in Germany.

After liberation, she came to America as a Displaced Person (DP) along with her family. She worked odd jobs in rural Connecticut and Long Island while obtaining her education, finishing high school and obtaining her beauty license. While working in New York City she met the love her life, a Chinese engineer, Henry. Although an unconventional couple for that era, they married and settled in Dumont, NJ where she lived in same house for the remainder of her years.

While raising her two daughters, she worked as a technician and teacher training the next generation of beauticians with Roux Beauty and Revlon in New York City. Her home became a place of refuge for her friends, family, and chosen family many of which were fellow immigrants like herself.

She will be forever remembered by those who loved her.

A celebration of Sophie's life will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025, 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Frech-McKnight Funeral Home, 161 Washington Avenue, Dumont. The Funeral Mass will be offered at 9:30 AM, Saturday, October 25, 2025 at St. Mary's R.C. Church. Sophie will be laid to rest with her husband at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Sophie's memory to Dumont Senior Services, 39 Dumont Avenue, Dumont, NJ 07628; https://www.dumontnj.gov/senior-citizen-services or Felician Sisters of North America, C/O Mission Advancement, Felician Sisters of North America, Haiti Ministry, 871 Mercer Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010; https://www.felician.org/