Dr. Joseph Wah Chow Young — Honorary Mayor of Chinatown and recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal for his service in World War II — died Feb. 16 at his East Honolulu residence. He was 97.

Young, who devoted much of his life to improving Chinatown, took part in a variety of projects including cultural aesthetics and basic inner-city civic engagement. He campaigned for street signs that had street names in Chinese as well as Eng­lish, and for the installation of the Chinese gates that stand near the King Street Nuuanu Stream bridge. He also worked with the city on sidewalk improvements, the opening of the Chinatown police substation and neighborhood cleanup programs.

Family spokesperson Haven Young Rafto said that although her father was in a wheelchair when he attended the Narcissus Queen Pageant in January, he was still actively committed to public service.

“His body was 97, but he still wanted to do more in Chinatown for the people. He felt he had more to do in Chinatown,” Rafto said. At home her father sometimes shared stories of his youthful experiences “running down River Street, or riding the truck with his dad to deliver vegetables to the Oahu Country Club.”

Rafto also remembered her father as the musical member of the family.

“I don’t know where he picked it up, but he remembered a lot of the old Hawaiian songs and he actually knew some of the words. … He was able to actually carry a tune, and (hearing him) singing some of the songs was just amazing because we don’t know where he learned them. He never listened to Hawaiian music when we were kids.”

Born on Aug. 2, 1925, in Honolulu, the sixth of nine children, Young was taught the importance of education, hard work and community service at a young age. His father, Young Fong, leased Kuapa Fishpond in 1937, and the family moved to East Oahu to harvest fish and farm vegetables. Young helped his father with the family business.

Young left school in the 11th grade and took a civilian job at Hickam Air Base after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. He was drafted for military service shortly before the war ended, and served in the Philippines and Japan as a flight engineer with the U.S. Army Air Corps.

When Young returned to Hawaii, he planned to resume his education but was told he was too old to go back to high school. He got a GED instead and went to college on the GI Bill. He earned an undergraduate degree in zoology from Washington University in St. Louis and then graduated from the Washington University School of Dentistry in 1954.

He worked as a dentist in private practice for 40 years, retiring in 1994 and turning over the practice to his sons.

Young also was an active member of many Chinese cultural organizations and served on his neighborhood board, the Downtown/ Chinatown Task Force and as a senior adviser for the Chinatown Improvement District.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blan­- giardi described Young’s contributions to the community as incomparable.

“His commitment to serving Chinatown and the greater Oahu community was second to none,” Blangiardi said in a statement. “His legacy will live on through the many organizations he was a member of including the Honolulu Fire Department Commission, the City Planning Commission, the Downtown Chinatown Neighborhood Board, and the Hawaii Chinese Civic Association. We at the City and County of Honolulu are grateful for his lifelong efforts to make Honolulu a safer, more vibrant, and welcoming home for all our residents.”

With community service came community recognition. He was named United Chinese Society Model Chinese Father of the Year in 1998 and United Chinese Society Model Chinese Citizen of the Year in 2004.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell proclaimed him the Honorary Mayor of Chinatown in 2014.

In February 2022, Young received the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ top honor of national recognition, for his service in World War II.

Young is survived by wife Barbara Chun Young, sons Emory and Collyer, daughters Haven Young Rafto and Shelby Young Goo, and nine grandchildren.

Funeral services are pending.