Goodtime Bar Chef Ronnie Kelii Lee-Apolo of San Jose, California has sadly passed away. He died on Monday 17th June 2024 leaving family and friends in shock and disbelief. He was confirmed dead through a post shared on Instagram that reads “We are indescribably heartbroken to share that our Ronnie Keli’i Lee-Apolo unexpectedly passed away yesterday. This is a devastating loss for the whole community of San Jose; Ronnie is a local legend, a bright light that will shine on through our memories and our lasting love for him.” No cause of death was stated.
Information about Ronnie Kelii Lee-Apolo
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, he relocated to San Jose, California, at the age of thirteen. It was then that he became involved in the punk movement, attending performances, consuming 40 ounces of King Cobras, and hanging out with punks, skins, skaters, taggers, and thugs. He fell in love with cooking because it was the same as us—we were all social misfits. Despite attending numerous high schools, he never received his diploma. Despite his intelligence, he found it difficult to fit in at any school.
For him, like anyone who pays to attend culinary school, it was all simply a waste of time. Around the age of sixteen, he began working since he was undirected and unable to find something he wanted to accomplish. He got bored of begging for beer and landed his first job at Sprouts. Eventually, perhaps due to his jacket’s studs and tri-hawk, they let him leave. Later, he was hired as a dishwasher at Famous Dave’s, where he washed roughly 300 trays per day—and occasionally even more. He was an expert at dishwashing and had a passion for cleaning.
His entire life was shaped by that employment. After that, he was hired by Google thanks to the help of his longtime buddy and Mokosos lead vocalist. It sounds amazing to be 18 years old at Google! he ended up working under Chef Hilary Bergh at Bon Appétit. She let him into the cooking area. He then worked two, then three, jobs as a cook.
Ronnie Kelii Lee-Apolo GoFundMe
A GoFundMe account has been create by Mayra-sister n law Villafana on Monday in order to help solicit funds for Ronnie Apolo’s funeral and memorial. A statement from the account reads “In loving memory of Ronnie Kelii Lee-Apolo, As we are still in shock of the sudden and unexpected loss, Ronnie touched the lives of so many with his warmth, kindness, and infectious laughter. His presence brought joy and contagious laugh to all who knew him.”
