Loi Vinh Lam

Loi Vinh Lam, longtime Pullman restaurateur and community member, passed away Monday evening, November 19, 2018, at his Pullman home after a brief, but hard fought battle with cancer. He was 62. A prayer service led by the Buddhist Monks was held on Saturday, November 24th, at Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman.

Loi was born May 2, 1956 (Lunar calendar 3/22/56), in Saigon, Vietnam, to Thanh and Soai Chau Lam. Loi escaped Vietnam in 1978 and in the summer of 1979, he came to Pullman, Washington. During his boat ride out of Vietnam, he met his future wife, Lan, who was riding on the same boat. They married in February 1980. Once settled in Pullman, Loi worked as an operator of a jack-hammer during the construction of Martin Stadium. He later worked at a Chinese restaurant in Moscow for five years during which time he was diligently saving his money to one day open his own restaurant.

Loi and Lan started the New Garden in Pullman in 1985, six weeks before their first child was born. The couple worked side-by-side in the restaurant until opening their second restaurant, Golden Teriyaki, on the other end of town and Loi ran that while Lan stayed at New Garden.

The Lam's are well-known around the Pullman community and beyond as they treated each of their guests with a warm, welcoming smile and friendly hello each time you went to one of their establishments. Loi was a very generous man, but also could be strong willed at times.

He will be missed by many in the community, but especially by his wife, Lan, who survives him at their home; his three children, sons, Kenny (Ashley) and Kevin Lam, both of Pullman, and daughter, Kellie Lam (Joshua Wick) of Pasco; grandchildren, Pierce, Elliana and Tatum; by his mother, Soai Chau, Pullman; his three brothers and one sister, Minh Lam, Dinh Lam, Tony Lam and Ngoc Lam, all living in Pullman as well as an extended family of nieces, nephews and cousins throughout Washington. He was preceded in death by his father, Thanh Tuy Lam, in 1999. On-line guest book is at http://www.kimballfh.com

Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman is caring for the family.