Norman Wah Han Lee

August 13, 1926 – February 29, 2024

Norman Wah Han Lee passed away on February 29, 2024, having lived a full life for over ninety-seven years. His life first began in rural Canton, China. The old stone house in the village still stands; the lower level now used as a barn for oxen. As a child he climbed a wall to pick the sweetest, ripest persimmons from the nearby trees. His grandmother shooed away all other prospective poachers. Norman moved to Hong Kong as a young man, and eventually to America. His journey to America by plane was a circuitous one: from Hong Kong to Thailand, Bombay, Ireland, London, Newfoundland, and finally to New York's Ellis Island immigration station.

Life in America began with much toil for Norman. His first job was back-breaking, delivering laundry by truck. He and his wife, Hilda, eventually learned the grueling work of operating their own laundry business to support their family. After many years, he decided to study electronics at an institute (CREI, Capitol Radio Engineering Institute) to make a better life. Upon completing his studies, he worked briefly at Westinghouse in Baltimore as an electronics technician. He then joined the federal government service within the Defense Department at the Naval Research Lab, and the Harry Diamond Laboratories, until his retirement.

At first, the parts, big and small, arrived in various plastic or cardboard packages. Piece by piece, they were connected, soldered, screwed, snapped in, not always without encountering hurdles, of course. But Norman persevered. For months, he worked on it diligently, steadfastly with patience and purpose, night after night after he came home from an already full day's work. Eventually, after the gigantic, heavy tube was put in place and all minor adjustments made, Norman had built the Lee family's first color TV from a HeathKit! Like his arrival to America, the adventure into a new world had only just started, all the components now finally together. Vibrant and exciting stories were on the horizon.

Norman was a man with many talents and hobbies. He made all the family meals. On some evenings after work, he even taught cooking lessons when he and his wife operated a Chinese grocery store, The Fortune Cookie.

He enjoyed fishing and vegetable gardening. Norman proudly displayed his certificate from the State of MD for his catch of a five-pound smallmouth bass reeled in from the Potomac River, one of his favorite fishing haunts. His exploit was notable enough to be reported in the newspaper. For a while, Norman had a 22-foot cabin cruiser that he would take his family out on the Chesapeake Bay. The fish cakes he made from the day’s catch tasted delicious. Norman also taught his sons fishing on the C & O Canal in Georgetown, D.C. They lost their morning sleep but have many memories to savor.

Tending to his pear trees gave him great pleasure and relaxation, until the pear-stealing squirrels proved too challenging. He grew a variety of Asian pears, including Ya Li, Su Li, Shinseki and others in the backyard. No matter the variety, the squirrels didn’t care and always had a taste from each of them. Luckily, a few pears were unsampled and his great-granddaughters got their share, too.

Norman also enjoyed playing in volleyball tournaments representing DC against teams from other Chinese communities around the country. He was a striker on nine-man teams. At 5’9”, Norman was taller than his teammates and could outjump them.

Hilda, Norman’s wife of seventy-two years, and his sister Jing predeceased him. He is survived by his daughter Lisa (David, deceased), and his two sons, Marvin (Kathy) and Dennis. He leaves three grandchildren Alison (Kealan), Kevin, and Jason, and four great granddaughters, Addison, Riley, Bella, and Ruby. Besides his immediate family, Norman is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and their family stateside, in Canada and in Hong Kong.

A graveside service is scheduled on Friday, March 8, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Rockville, Maryland.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a local food bank.