Philip Yao-Tsung Yang

Yao-Tsung “Philip” Yang, the co-founder of Yang’s Teriyaki in Monmouth, died peacefully the evening of Monday, June 28 in his home in Dallas, Oregon after a courageous 5-year battle with cancer. He had recently moved from Monmouth to Dallas in order to be more easily cared for by his family. Philip is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ching-Wan “Serena” Yang, and by his two children and 6 grandchildren.

Philip was born May 22, 1940 in Zhushan, Nantou County, Taiwan to Ren-He and Chun-Chou Yang. He was the fourth of nine children. Philip graduated from the National Cheng Kung University with a B.S. in Foreign Languages and Literature. He worked as a well-known and well-respected Junior High teacher for 22 years, teaching English, Math, and Science. Philip loved Chemistry. Toward the end of his life, when he sometimes had difficulty remembering the English names of things, he could still remember the chemical formulas for compounds! Philip’s dedication and generosity were evident from a young age. Every Chinese New Year, he would take his son to the market where he would purchase two of the largest fish from the fishmonger—one for his family and one for a friend in the crowd. As a teacher, he would host more than 70 students in his home on many evenings, reviewing educational material with them and cooking pots of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup for them. Philip met his wife, Serena, during his third year of teaching at Zhushan Junior High School. They were married in January of 1968. In 1983, Philip immigrated to the United States with his wife and two children, aged 12 and 14. They lived in both Eugene, OR and Renton, WA for a time, finally settling in Monmouth, OR when Philip pursued and completed a B.S. in Computer Science at Western Oregon State College. In 1994, with the support and encouragement of friends, Philip and Serena opened Yang’s Teriyaki right next to the campus of WOSC. They served delicious food for a reasonable price, and their restaurant became a favorite of many college students and community members. Philip again showed his dedication and generosity by insisting that his customers receive excellent, loving service and affordable food. He wanted to serve the whole community and is remembered for his big, welcoming smile. Although he was born into an impoverished family and came to the United States with nothing, Philip, by his hard work and care for others and because of the opportunities afforded him here, created a legacy in both his business and personal life. He always celebrated the 4th of July with enthusiasm and joy! Upon retirement in the fall of 2007, Philip enjoyed woodworking, taking walks around town, reading, and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He and Serena traveled several times to Taiwan, and the whole family took an Alaskan cruise in 2016. Philip had always wanted to see Alaska. Philip was a member of Bridgeport Community Chapel in Dallas and was baptized in September of 2018. He studied the Bible often with his good friends from church.

Philip leaves his wife Serena of Dallas; daughter Jeanette Smith and husband Carter of Redmond, WA; son Jay Yang and wife Jessyca of Dallas; and six grandchildren—Naomi, Valerie, Micah, Jeffrey, Ian, and Samuel. He is also survived by 5 siblings, all of whom reside in Taiwan. The family will hold a small family gathering at a later date in honor of Philip and his life.

Farnstrom Mortuary is caring for the family.