Rita C Lee

Rita Chiu-Yi Lee, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2025 at the age of 93 at Brookdale Northwest Hills in Austin, Texas. Born on October 20, 1931 in Hopei, China, she lived a life full of love, resilience, and dedication to her family.

Rita was born into a traditional Chinese family in “Ma’s Village,” a small village in China with a close-knit community. Her early years were spent in a large family compound where four generations lived together. Her great-grandfather was the head of the family, and her grandfather, a respected scholar, had studied in Japan with Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Her father had graduated from the Naval Academy but pivoted to joining the Army after Japan invaded China.

During her childhood, Rita experienced the hardships of the Japanese invasion of China. Her family was forced to leave their home and escape the invasion through a long and arduous trip to the south. The family eventually reunited with her father in Chongqing, where they faced the struggles of wartime life. Her father worked in the aid office of Chiang Kai-shek, and the family lived a simple life with limited resources and fragmented education.

After the war, Rita’s father was sent to the US for naval training and returned to Nanking as the captain of one of the naval ships given to China by the US. Rita’s mother took the family to rejoin her father there. After moving several more times, Rita entered a Christian girls’ junior high school, where she was finally able to find some friendship and contentment. However, that was short-lived as the Communists were taking over in China. The family had to escape again, this time to Taiwan, which Japan occupied. The primary languages were Japanese and Taiwanese, and those who spoke Mandarin (from mainland China) had difficulty fitting in.

Rita’s father rose in the ranks to Commander in Chief of the Navy and the family split their time between Taipei and Tso-In. During that time she attended Tai-King College and converted to Catholicism. While there, she met her future husband Francis, who attended Taiwan University. After a few years of courtship, Francis proposed and had to convince her parents he was worthy of her hand in marriage, and they were married in 1956 at a grand wedding with an elaborate reception.

After a year, their 1st son Richard was born. Soon after, Francis arrived in Michigan to study at Ann Arbor, and was joined by Rita after two years. Finally, they began their happy and new life together in the US. They had two more boys, Robert and Raymond. Francis changed jobs several times and the family with three boys moved to Philadelphia, PA, York, PA, Endicott, NY, Gaithersburg, MD, Huntsville, AL, and finally remaining in Austin, TX.

As the boys grew older and started college in Austin, Rita boldly set out to achieve something on her own - a new career in real estate. She made a name for herself as a sales agent at NPC, a realty company. Soon after, she established her own business, Lee Properties, to manage various investment properties.

During this period, Rita tragically lost her brother at a young age due to a car accident in Taiwan in 1977. At her father’s wishes, she adopted her brother’s eldest daughter, Jennifer, who joined the family in Austin in 1980.

In the years the family lived in Austin, Rita continued to build her business. She was known for her dedication, hard work, and the strong relationships she built with her clients. Rita remained deeply connected to her family and her Chinese heritage. She would make annual trips to Taiwan to celebrate Chinese New Year with her parents or travel there when a loved one was sick and needed care. She was a devoted daughter, always caring for her parents and ensuring their well-being. She was a loving wife and always took care of Francis’s needs. In retirement, they traveled extensively and enjoyed many adventures worldwide, even parasailing!

In 1997, Francis passed away unexpectedly in Taiwan, and as per his wishes, her son Robert’s family moved in with Rita briefly and thereafter moved into a home that Robert and Emily had built to accommodate them all more comfortably. They lived together for over 17 years during which she was active in the Austin Chinese Church, had adventures with friends, traveled to visit her beloved children and grandchildren, and played lots of Mahjongg and card games.

In her later years, Rita continued to be a happy and loving person. Everyone enjoyed being with her. She always asked about her family and how many grandchildren she had. Rita will be remembered for her unwavering love, strength, and kindness. The endurance and perseverance she learned early in her life gave her the strength to succeed in her career and home life, and be a role model to her family and all those who knew her.

Rita is survived by her children, Richard (Suzi) Lee, Robert (Emily) Lee, Raymond (Angela Orth) Lee, and Jennifer (Ben) Yin; her grandchildren, Rachel (Shane) Gamez, Samuel Lee, Mariah Lee, Jacqueline Lee, Robert F. Lee, Alan (Carmen Asbun) Orth, Samantha Lee, Alexandra Lee, Ashley Yin and Katherine Yin; and her great-grandchildren, Alistai, Augustine and Matteo. She is also survived by her sister, Regina Tso; her nephews, David (Lily) Tso and Ben Tso; and her niece, Judy (Tony Yin) Yeh. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Francis Lee; and her parents, Ma Chi Chuang and Lee Liang Pe; and her brother, Joe Ma and his wife Margaret Yeh.

Rita’s family wants to thank the wonderful and dedicated staff at Brookdale Northwest Hills for all the excellent, loving care they provided to her over the last ten years.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 15th at noon; visitation will be available prior to the service starting at 10 am. A reception will follow the memorial service. Visitation, memorial service, and reception will be held at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home & Cemetery, 14501 N Interstate Hwy 35, Pflugerville, TX 78660, for family and friends to gather to celebrate her life and honor her memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Austin Chinese Church in her name.

Please find Rita’s full life story here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IEb6IWym1djR5V2uTrmI7JVVFc1fnMew/view