Qiyou Yuan

Mr. Qiyou Yuan, Calligrapher 
1933 - 2025

Qiyou Yuan passed away on Valentine’s Day, 2025 at the age of 92 at Froedert Memorial Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Memorial services will be held on Saturday February 22nd at the Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 W Capitol Dr., Brookfield, WI 53005 from 9:30AM-12:00PM.

Qiyou was known as “Yeye” (grandpa) to his many friends and admirers. And to many more, he was known as the elderly Chinese man who liked to ride his scooter around town and might offer to write your name in Chinese. He was always on the move, and could often be seen at the park shooting hoops or kicking a ball around.

Yeye will be remembered for his curiosity and good nature. He never had a harsh word for anyone, and never took offense. He was a man of few words, but quick to belly laugh. He loved life in America, his adopted home for the last sixteen years, especially bagels and Goodwill. Though he never mastered English, that didn’t stop him from making friends with everyone he met and becoming an American citizen. In America, Yeye enjoyed a second act as a scholar and expert practitioner of Chinese calligraphy. Works of calligraphy by Yeye are admired as items of both visual and poetic beauty. More details at yuanqiyou.org.

Qiyou is survived by his wife (Cunying Li of Taiyuan, China), and their three children (Hongyu Yuan and husband Dun Wang of Victoria, Canada, Yanbin Yuan of Taiyuan, China, and Wenbin Yuan and wife Qi Zhang of Milwaukee), his son Xingyan, five grandchildren (Emma, Eric, Jiaxi and her husband Xiangli, Botao, Reena, Ann and husband Collmann), and two great-granddaughters (Uma and Eartha). 

We hope his love for this world will shine through his hundreds of works of calligraphy and art that hang all over the world.