Obituary

An article (link here) about Fay was published in the New York Times on August 10, 2020

The obituary below was also printed in the New York Times, Sing Tao, and World Journal Newspapers.

Fay Chew Matsuda was born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, born on April 11, 1949 to Chock Nom Chin and Bick Koon Chin.  In the 1960's, Fay was one of a few Asian-American women to attend New York City's Hunter College High School, where she developed a strong foundation and lifelong friendships.

Fay's world was New York City’s Chinatown and Lower East Side communities.  She was an integral voice in the Asian American and Chinatown Community, dedicating her life to the communities she served. Upon receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and Master’s degree in Social Work from NYU, she went on to work at the Hamilton-Madison House, a non-profit serving Asian American and LatinX communities in Lower Manhattan.  While there, she worked with the community for thirteen years.  She later became Executive Director for the New York Chinatown History Project, and was instrumental in its transformation to the Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MOCA). Following work with the Chinatown Health Clinic (now known as the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center), Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and the Asian American Federation, she returned to MOCA in 1997 as Executive Director.  In 2006, she served the Chinatown and Lower East Side community’s senior population as Program Director of the City Hall Senior Center, a division of Hamilton-Madison House and where her professional career had begun 33 years earlier.  She retired in 2016, and was honored by MOCA as a Community Hero. 

Fay was known for her unique blend of kindness, compassion, and leadership.  Her selfless generosity was felt by many, and she will forever be a beloved family member, a trusted partner, a valued mentor, and a cherished friend to many.  She is remembered lovingly by her husband of 40 years, Karl; her daughter, Amy; her grandson, Miles; her sisters, Vivian, May, and Rose; and many cherished family members and friends far and wide.