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David Yee: Folk Dancer Extraordinaire

by Christine Linge Macdonald

It was with great sadness that our community learned of
David’s passing in early January. It was a shock to all his
friends who had seen him the week before at the New
Year’s celebration in King City. I had spent Sunday, January
8th, with David seeing the Chihuly exhibition at the Royal
Ontario Museum, followed by a big meal at Swiss Chalet.
Because he had been a bit dizzy that day, I quickly made
a doctor’s appointment for him. He wanted company, so I offered to
drive him. Unfortunately, when I went to pick him up a couple of days
later, it was too late.
David was born in Montreal on March 23, 1942. Many dancers will have
known him as Henry, before he chose to be addressed by his middle
name, David. One of the last things David shared with me (a rare event
because David was famous for his personal privacy) was that he was
planning a big party for an upcoming “important birthday”. Most dancers
are surprised to discover that David would have turned 75 in 2017. I
suppose all those years of dancing had kept him young. It is fitting that
we will be having a Celebration of Life on March 25th, two days after
his birthday, at the Ralph Thornton Centre, a venue that he loved and
where he taught folk dancing for some time.
David made a huge impression on all that he met. He had a marvellous,
booming bass voice, and he loved to play with words. Everyone would
soon be laughing, and David’s laughter was infectious. His sense of
humour and formidable intellect drew people to him. His dining table
at Ontario Folk Dance Camp was always the centre of lively minds and
much laughter, and, of course, much food.
After folk dancing, folk music and folklore, David’s next passion was
food. Many of my fondest memories involve helping David discover
the finest meals all over Toronto for the best possible price. For years
we ate regularly at Plumers, which was the practice restaurant for the
George Brown College Culinary Arts program. A gourmet five-course
meal, served on a linen-covered table by waiters-in-training, all for only
a few dollars - David was in dining heaven!
From the first day I met David, food featured large, and sometimes in
weird and wonderful ways. David and Willie Kisin greeted me the first
night I danced, one Monday when I accidently came across the group
at the University Settlement House. From that point on we were close
buddies. Some of my fondest memories involve going out to eat Chinese
food after dancing at the Settlement. On one of those occasions, I asked

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