Herbert Ngen Fee Gee, an exceptional husband and father, and friend to many, passed away May 10, 2026, at his home in Oakland, CA, surrounded by his wife and two daughters.

Herb came into the world on June 27, 1946, in Pasadena, CA, the youngest of six children born to Chinese parents. As a child, he would frequently get into mischief while the rest of the family worked at his parents’ Chinese restaurant in Southern California. He passed the time after school reading the encyclopedia, exploring with neighborhood friends, or turning the house into a lab and playground, disassembling and reassembling appliances, and turning furniture into climbing structures. 

He eventually made his way to UC Berkeley, where he got a law degree and worked in the Alameda County Public Defender’s office for some years before transitioning to private practice. He met his wife Carolyn (Lillywhite) through a mutual friend and they married in 1979 and had daughters Laura and Elizabeth. 

Herb was a dedicated and easy-going family man. He cooked, drove his daughters to school, and hosted dinners without ever seeming stressed. He was a present, trusting father who believed that children will become who they become, so the best thing a parent can do is instill basic moral principles and accept that the rest is out of their hands. His favorite family tradition was a yearly trip to Yosemite, where they rode bikes and went hiking together.

Herb’s natural enthusiasm for figuring out how things work led to a belief that he could fix everything, from appliances to cars, and he was mostly successful. Other DIY efforts were full-on mishaps, but through it all he remained curious, and was never discouraged from trying new things.     

Herb maintained relationships for decades, including playing poker with the same people for about 50 years. Friends always knew they could rely on him, and he was someone you could confide in, who didn’t judge. And Herb was fun. He had a full and distinctive laugh and was endlessly amused by life.  

Herb was predeceased by his parents, sister Marilyn Lee and her husband Kenneth Lee, as well as brothers Howard Gee and Harvey Gee. He is survived by wife Carolyn Gee, daughter Laura Gee (Daniel Wise) and grandchildren Eleanor Gee Wise and Charles Gee Wise, daughter Elizabeth Gee (Theodore Carreon), his sisters Bernice Yee Gee (Edward Yee) and Betty Gee, and many nieces and nephews.  

The family will be celebrating Herb’s life with a big Chinese banquet, to honor his love of dim sum and good company.

Care has been entrusted to Grissom's Chapel & Mortuary.