REMEMBERING A LIFE WELL LIVED LEO CHEN’S LEGACY BY CHRISTINA RUOTOLO
OVID hit the restaurant community hard last year, but nothing prepared the community for the sudden loss of Leo Chen, owner of Shogun restaurant. Within the first few hours after learning of his passing, there was an outpouring of love from hundreds of families, friends, customers, and other restaurants on Facebook and other media outlets. We did not just lose a smart, funny, hard-working, and loyal restaurant owner, we lost our friend. Many of us have been to Shogun. It’s where we fed our souls, enjoyed birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions, office events and everything in between. Leo and his wife Sherry and the staff were there for these beautiful moments to lift us up, to make us delicious food, and in doing so, they became our family, the people we could turn to when we needed them. All the while, as we were sitting down at their tables, selecting sushi and entree items and laughing with friends and family, Leo was battling his own internal demons, a silent mental health battle. He put on a brave face, showed up every day ready to give the 150% he always did, but as the world chipped away at him, he chipped away at himself, unable to pull himself up, the way he has always pulled others up. In the early morning hours of April 7, 2021, Leo took his own life. Leo was a husband, father, brother, son, friend to us all and passionate soul that left this world all too soon, leaving an insurmountable void in his absence. We cannot imagine the intensity of his suffering or the dark depths of a person’s loneliness and despair that prevented him from reaching out to others for help. We pray that the beauty and gift of Leo’s life will not be overshadowed by the actions of his tragic death. Since his death, we continue to celebrate the memory of Leo, a servant's heart who gave his life for each and every one of us. We will remember all of the wonderful things we each loved, admired and cherished about Leo. Leo meant different things to different people, but he was a friend to everyone. He didn’t just cook our food, he sat with us, ate with us, helped us, and bonded with us. He was our faithful servant. To say Leo was a hard worker is an understatement. He was driven and was always striving for excellence, and you could see that dedication in the food served at Shogun. Leo
www.reflector.com/her
Her — August 2021
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