S.F. Chinatown native daughter celebrates 90th birthday in style
SAN FRANCISCO -- When Dorothy "Polka Dot" Quock walks into a room, you notice.
Thursday night, the room in San Francisco's Chinatown was packed with people celebrating her 90th birthday. Some traveled across the country just to be there.
Quock was born and raised in Chinatown.
She says she acquired her Polka Dot nickname as a teenager from a boss who had two Dorothys on his staff.
"He finally said OK, you're Polka Dot and she's Giant Dot. That's how it got started," Quock explained.
Quock says that, for most of her life, she lived relatively traditionally. She got married, moved to Livermore and became a mother.
Then, in her 60s, she got divorced, moved back to the city and quickly gained a following.
Quock spent years giving walking tours around Chinatown. She met people from around the world and, in 2014, filmmaker James Q. Chan consulted with her for a movie he was working on about the historic neighborhood.
"She is a community treasure -- a human unicorn -- and we absolutely love her," Chan said. "When she spends time with you it is -- everything else falls away and you are the most important thing."
Quock then launched into the world of San Francisco's art and fashion scene.
She was photographed for a book showcasing stylish seniors in the city and, in 2022, became a model for designer Victor Tung.
"I was a live model walking around with him," Quock said.
She says the whole thing has been a bit of a rollercoaster but she's proud to have created such community.
"Community helped me be what I am," Quock said.
For her 90th birthday, all she wants to do is celebrate that.