Funeral held for San Francisco Chinatown activist Rose Pak

Rose Pak was remembered for her tough love, dedication to Chinatown and voracious appetite for San Francisco politics at a funeral service Saturday that included speeches and appearances from the city’s movers and shakers, and, in true Pak fashion, a few jabs at her foes.

Because of Pak, said former Mayor Willie Brown, “every board and commission in San Francisco ended up with an Asian representative.” Brown was the first to speak and he told stories about his friend for nearly 30 minutes.

He recalled that when he got elected, Pak called him up and said, “It’s time for an Asian police chief.” Brown responded: “Who is going to be our police chief?” The answer: Fred Lau, the first Asian American police chief of a major city, who served from 1996 to 2002.

Brown said the same thing happened when the city built its Asian Art Museum. Pak called Brown and told him, “the museum ought to be built by an Asian contractor.” Brown responded: “I agree. Who’s the contractor?”

“To say she’s going to be missed is an understatement of the first order,” Brown said.

Speakers remembered Pak, who died last week at 68, as one of a kind. A political leader who never held elected office. A trailblazer whose foul mouth belied her tender love and caring for others. Someone who, despite her influence, cared little for personal wealth and lived modestly. She loved the game of politics and was masterful at it, but always worked toward the goal of making sure that Chinatown — and the people who lived and worked there — thrived.

She spent decades as a consultant to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. From that position, Pak raised money for her favored politicians, gave them introductions to the fast-growing Asian community and provided them with guidance, support and campaign workers.

“Sure, she was tough as nails and relentless, sometimes painfully so, but it was always in the service of our community,” recalled Mayor Ed Lee, who was on the receiving end of both Pak’s generosity and wrath. “Despite all the sharp edges and even sharper tongue, Rose was motivated by love. Love of family and community.”

About 600 people attended the Catholic service at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral in Chinatown. They included former Mayors Gavin Newsom and Art Agnos, every member of the Board of Supervisors, City Administrator Naomi Kelly and Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts. Mourners bowed before her open casket to pay their respects.

The police closed Grant Avenue from Pine Street to Sacramento Street to accommodate the event, and a projector was set up in the street for a live stream of the service.

On the way out of the church, mourners were given two small envelopes, in accordance with Chinese tradition. The white envelope included a small candy to be eaten before leaving the church. The red envelope contained a dollar, to purchase something sweet.

Gordon Chin, founding director of the Chinatown Community Development Center, recalled Pak’s voracious appetite, both for food food and politics. He recalled that on a trip to Las Vegas, Pak expected her friends to meet her at 8 a.m. for a 90-minute breakfast where they discussed politics. Lunch, he said, was a two-hour affair where they talked more politics. Then it was coffee at 3:30, which gave him just a few hours before dinner, a three-hour event that included more political discussion. It was capped off by an 11 p.m. gathering for drinks. But Pak didn’t drink, he said, and so she instead ordered all the hors d’oeuvres on the menu.

“I will miss those meals with Rose, and I will miss my friend,” Chin said.

It was the last speech of the service that generated the most laughs, and gasps.

Malcolm Yeung, deputy director of the Chinatown Community Development Center, recalled that when he met Pak, he was a member of the San Francisco Elections Commission. Pak wasn’t impressed. She told Yeung: “I kick commissioner butt for breakfast.”

But, Yeung said, “as long as you exhibited character and value, she wouldn’t give up on you, no matter what she said to your face.”

Yeung recalled Pak’s feisty side.

He accompanied Pak to a Pacific Heights home to retire fundraising debt, where he said a Bay Area tech billionaire took the stage and took credit for Lee’s election. Yeung said Pak stepped forward and reminded everyone how much the Chinese American community had gone through and fought to get Lee elected.

“She wouldn’t give up the floor. She was proving a point. She forced him to hear her when that was the only way she could get him to listen. And then she forced me to box up as many hors d’oeuvres as possible,” Yeung said.