Name: COVID-19 claims life of Jimmy's Egg pioneer Loc Le; wife remains hospitalized
Brand: oklahoman.com
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COVID-19 claims life of Jimmy's Egg pioneer Loc Le; wife remains hospitalized

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Dave Cathey Loc Van Le, who purchased a single breakfast cafe in 1980 and turned it into a multi-state franchise, died of complications from the coronavirus on Thursday night. He was 75.As it mourns the passing of its patriarch, the Le (pronounced Lee) family is keeping vigil for its matriarch Kim, who remains hospitalized with the virus.Born in Da Nang, Vietnam, to an affluent family in 1945, Loc Le was one of eight children. Before the fall of Saigon in 1975, Le had followed in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his family.He worked for his father during college, then became a real estate broker and general contractor. During the height of the war years, he owned a trucking firm and was a partner in a pork cannery that sold C-ration products to the U.S. military.When Saigon was overtaken by Communists, Le used what money he had left to commandeer a small commercial fishing boat. Le helped rescue about 30 people from Vietnam, many of whom were family, but some who were strangers. After about a month at sea and through sponsorship of Our Lady's Cathedral, Le arrived to Oklahoma City in 1978 where he and his wife Kim would settle and raise their four children.With virtually no assets and little command of the language in their new home, the couple took odd jobs while they improved their English. Eventually, Le's familiarity with trucking and transportation landed him a job as an inspector with the Santa Fe Railway. Kim started Hi-Fashion Wigs on N May Avenue.By 1980, Kim's wig shop had grown to three and she had her eye on a new investment: a breakfast cafe down the street from her first wig shop. Kim had become a regular at Jimmy's Egg and told her husband its owner, Jim Newman, was willing to sell.After finally dropping in for breakfast, Loc agreed with his wife’s assessment. The couple sold Hi-Fashion Wigs and some personal jewelry to raise $40,000 to purchase Jimmy's Egg.By 1983, they'd grown it to three locations and added two more by 1990. Today, with the help of son-in-law Ban Nguyen, there are more than 60 Jimmy’s Egg locations in the United States. They cover eight states, stretching from New York to Texas.As their fortunes improved, Loc and Kim launched a charitable foundation that helped build a Catholic church in Vietnam and created support and opportunity for people there.When asked in 1990 about his accomplishments versus the challenges he'd faced, Le said: "I am satisfied because I am good at what I choose to do. I do not always succeed, but I am not a guy to be whining about it. I make happiness in any condition God gives to me."According to family, Kim remained in the hospital on a ventilator Sunday morning. Le's surviving children include daughters Yen Kanh, Trang Kanh and Mai Kanh and son Quang. He also has seven surviving grandchildren.Public viewing is Monday and Tuesday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Smith &amp; Kernke Funeral Home, 14624 N May Ave. A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Eugene Catholic Church, 2400 W Hefner Road, followed by interment at Rose Hill Burial Park, 6001 NW Grand Ave.

Dave Cathey Loc Van Le, who purchased a single breakfast cafe in 1980 and turned it into a multi-state franchise, died of complications from the coronavirus on Thursday night. He was 75.As it mourns the passing of its patriarch, the Le (pronounced Lee) family is keeping vigil for its matriarch Kim, who remains hospitalized with the virus.Born in Da Nang, Vietnam, to an affluent family in 1945, Loc Le was one of eight children. Before the fall of Saigon in 1975, Le had followed in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his family.He worked for his father during college, then became a real estate...

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COVID-19 claims life of Jimmy's Egg pioneer Loc Le; wife remains hospitalized

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