Cissey Xi Ye, DAOM, LAc died unexpectedly on Tuesday, March 5th, 2019 at the age of 30 in Beaverton, Oregon.

Cissey was kind-hearted, playful, funny, and always wanted to help the people around her. She was a devoted friend, loving sister, gracious daughter, affectionate wife, and a compassionate doctor. She made friends easily and was a leader in her field of work. Cissey always put others’ needs before her own; always looking for a way to help, whether it was through acupuncture and Chinese medicine, or simply bringing burritos to her friends when they were having a bad day. Cissey was extremely hard-working, persistent, and strong-minded and she fought fiercely for the causes and people she loved. Her loyalty, sense of humor and compassion will be missed by everyone. She left a lasting impression on anyone she came into contact with.

Cissey was born on March 10th, 1988 in Chengdu, Sichuan – the spice capital of China. She immigrated at the age of 4, landing in Huntsville, Alabama. She grew up in Ithaca, New York, as well as Olympia, Washington and then moved to Beaverton, Oregon when she was 13 years old. She attended Sunset High School and participated in the International Baccalaureate Program. She excelled as a student athlete, an Oregon State Champion swimmer who won regional competitions while swimming for the Tualatin Hills Thunderbolts, specializing in long-distance freestyle and butterfly. She earned a scholarship to George Washington University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a Pre-Medical Concentration, while competing in their NCAA Division I Women’s Varsity Swim Team. She was also a founding sister, helping to start a new chapter of the Chi Omega Sorority at GW and a member of Colonial Cabinet 2008.

In 2009, Cissey studied abroad at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China for the summer, which forever altered the path of her career and her life. It was here that she re-discovered her passion for traditional Chinese Medicine, something that she had always been curious about after witnessing her grandparents use of herbal remedies as a young child in China. After she graduated from George Washington, she moved back to Portland and continued her education at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, receiving her Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2013 and her Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2015.

Cissey ran an acupuncture practice in Chicago for a year while obtaining her doctorate, and then went on to start West Hills Wellness, an acupuncture business in Northwest Portland, where she worked from 2014 until her death. She was passionate about pain-management, sports medicine, sleep disorders, digestive issues, stress reduction, and women’s health. She loved treating athletes. Her patients loved her and she was highly regarded in the community of Bethany, as well as the OCOM community of Portland and greater Chinese Medicine community of the world. She was an acupuncture instructor and published a peer-reviewed article in the Meridians Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine titled, “Swimmer’s Shoulder: An Acupuncture Sports Medicine Approach.”

Cissey met and fell in love with Marya Deda, a fellow doctoral student at OCOM and they were married in fall of 2018. Cissey enjoyed rock climbing, eating almost anything, (but especially Mexican food), playing with her dogs and cats, traveling, and spending time with her friends. She was a hard working professional who loved her job, family and friends, and was passionate about equal rights and the LGBTQ community. She loved spending time in St. John's and walking in Pier Park under the trees.  She was a Renaissance woman throughout her life - a violinist, pianist, watercolor painter, champion swimmer, teacher, chef, academic, pop culture savant, and persuasive hype-woman. You could often find her hanging out at a dive bar or taco joint, and she would never say no to brunch. She will be missed terribly.

Cissey is survived by her parents, Yi Luo and Xiaomu Ye, her brother, Robin Ye, her Uncle Kang Luo, Aunt Li Wu, cousin Emma, her wife Marya Deda, and many friends and extended family worldwide. Cissey joins her grandparents, Luo Qin Xuan, Xie Run Quan, Ye Liangbo, and Chen Jinnan.

There will be a casual party for family and friends to celebrate Cissey’s life held on Sunday, March 10th in honor of her 31st birthday at Slim’s in St. John’s, Portland from 12pm-6pm.

A formal funeral service and burial will take place on Monday, March 11th starting at 11:00 am at the Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland (4101 NW Skyline Blvd, Portland, OR 97229) that is open to all.