Hedwig L. Lee

Hedwig “Hedy” Lee, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, was born October 12, 1933 and passed away Saturday, March 2, 2024 in Houston, TX. She was married to Gene L. Lee for over 57 years before his death in 2010.

She is survived by her daughters, their husbands and daughter-in-law: Pearl Lee Robb, Judy Lee and Tim Toy, Sandy J. Lee, Susie Lee and Larry Huang, and Julie Schwalen Lee. Her son Sam Y. Lee predeceased her in 2016. Hedy has 9 grandchildren: Steven Robb, Greg Toy, Kevin Toy (Lindsey), Chris Robb (Krystal), Katherine Schaefer (Jesse), Emily Huang Dentino (Philippe), Nicholas Asper, Alex Toy and Harrison Lee. Her 4 great grandchildren are Abbey Robb, Johnnie and Audrey Schaefer and Cotton Robb.

Hedy was born in Sombor, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and survived the horrors of World War II as a child fleeing to many cities in Europe before being resettled as a refugee in Germany. She met her husband, Gene Lee, who was born in China, while he was stationed with the U.S. Army in Mannheim. After a whirlwind courtship using an English dictionary to communicate, they married and she moved to Houston in 1955. As was common for enterprising immigrants without formal education or lacking in opportunities, they soon purchased a grocery store and operated Gene’s Food Market on Leeland Ave. In 1970 they opened Lee Printing and Office Supplies, Houston’s first Chinese and English printing company. She and Gene started the region's first Chinese-English language newspaper, the Southwest Chinese Journal, copies of which are preserved in the Asian American Archives of the Chao Center for Asian Studies at Rice University as part of Houston history. After 46 years Hedy finally retired from the printing business in 2016 at the age of 83. They were a dynamic team that succeeded in both growing their businesses and raising 5 children in a home full of love and laughter. Hedy was kind and loving to all who knew her and touched many lives with her generosity and gentle spirit. She was extremely hard working and sacrificed to give the best to her family. She was elegant and refined but could also converse easily with any person from any background – from high powered business professionals to new immigrants to small children. Her genuine interest and caring made all of them feel valued, seen and respected. She was a woman of deep and abiding faith in God along with the power of prayer. A life-long learner, she was an avid reader, world traveler and lover of art and music. She also loved nature, fresh air, mountains, trees, flowers and a good cup of coffee with a delicious dessert. Although her early years entailed great hardship, she persevered through many challenges with faith, grit and determination to enjoy a rich and multi-faceted life surrounded by the love of her family and friends.

A visitation will be held March 17, 2024 from 4-8 pm at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home and a funeral mass March 18 at 10 am at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church – Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX. As an immigrant herself and the mother of an adopted child, Hedy was especially touched by the plight of children in need and refugees. If you wish, a memorial contribution can be made to Child Advocates www.childadvocates.org or Doctors Without Borders www.bit.ly/HedyLee or to the charitable organization of your choice.