Judy Lee

Judy (Wang) Lee, born in Hebei, China, passed away July 23, 2015 with loved ones at her side. She is survived by her husband of 76 years, Shu Chin Lee, her sons Conrad and David, and daughter Faith. She is preceded in death by her daughter Mary Lee Amason.

Judy was a remarkable woman devoted to her husband, 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Conrad and Sharon Lee have two children, Jennifer and Albert. David Lee does not have any children. Mary (Lee) Amason had two children: Michelle (Amason) Bannigan, who has two sons, Jack and Mason, and Michael Amason of Aliso Viejo. Faith Lee is married to Alan De Jong, and they have five children. Brandon and Katherine (Yap) De Jong of San Francisco have two children, James and Benjamin. Jeffrey and Rebecca (Gleisner) De Jong of Chicago have a daughter, Kaylee. Kathryn (De Jong) is married to Matt Riemersma and lives in San Francisco. Elizabeth De Jong resides in Glendale and Andrew De Jong remains at Camp Pendleton in San Diego.

Judy followed her husband from northern China, to Beijing, to Shanghai — always a step ahead of the communist regime with three children in tow. They escaped to Taiwan on the last plane from Shanghai, where their youngest child, Faith, was born. After three years Judy uprooted her family again, and followed her husband to Tokyo, where he worked as a banker for 35 years, until his retirement.

In 1966 Judy went to the United States to be with her daughters who entered high school in Los Angeles. Although she did not speak any English when she arrived, Judy studied and became a naturalized U.S. Citizen. Ten years later she went back to Tokyo to be with her husband, but returned to Los Angeles several times to help with her grandchildren. Judy and Shu Chin finally moved to the United States permanently in 1986, where they settled in Glendale.

Judy's official age, according to her passport, is 92 years old, but she is actually 5 years older than her husband, who is 94, which makes her 99. According to Chinese custom, she reached the century mark already, so let us all celebrate this remarkable and devoted wife, mother, grandma, and great grandma. We will miss her.