Yath Chek

In Loving Memory of Chek Yath
March 3, 1935 - July 22, 2025
Born in Battambang, Cambodia
Chek Yath, our beloved matriarch, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones.
A survivor in every sense of the word, Chek Yath lived through one of the darkest chapters in human history. After enduring the horrors of the Khmer Rouge genocide, she fled Cambodia in 1979 and sought refuge in Thailand at the Khao I-Dang Refugee Camp. Her journey toward safety and freedom took her through the camps of Khamput, Chonburi, and the Philippines, before eventually resettling in Minnesota in 1982. There, she built a new life, one rooted in love, resilience, and service to her family and community.
Chek Yath was preceded in death by her husband, Sy Chhouy; her son, Sy Chheath; her daughter, Sy Chantha; and her granddaughter, Sy Mariam.
She is survived by her children Sy Chhoung, Sy Salina, and Sy Samang, along with a large and loving family that includes many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren all of that were touched by her love.
To those who knew her, Chek Yath was more than a grandmother; she was a pillar of strength, a nurturer of generations, and the heart of our village. Though some were not bound by blood, she chose us, and that choice was everything. She raised countless children with endless grace, warmth, and unconditional love.
She taught us that family is not always defined by blood, but by care, compassion, and the willingness to show up. Her legacy lives on in every life she touched, in the resilience she modeled, and in the love she poured into our world.