Chester Yeom, 1966-2008

On my way home from the video store this evening, I stopped in at the Belmont Market to pick up some beer. While there, I inquired as to the condition of Chester Yeom, who had been shot in an armed robbery at the store on March 4th, 2007. I was surprised and saddened to learn that Chester had succumbed to an infection on August 1st.

Chester and his family operated the Milwaukie Market in Portland's Brooklyn neighborhood, as well as Plaza Teriyaki in the US Bancorp tower downtown. Chester was a close friend of the family that owns the Belmont Market, and often filled in for them on Sundays so they could attend church. Having lived in the neighborhood for a number of years, I knew Chester casually from my frequent visits to this store. As a result of the injury he sustained on that fateful day in March of last year, he was paralyzed from the neck down. Since that day, the market has been closed on Sundays in Chester's honor.

Chester was a quiet member of our community, but an important one nevertheless. He will be sorely missed, and my deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.