Marie Diana (Norum) Lee

Diana was born in Dallas Texas in 1941 and spent the early years of her life in Utah and Colorado, and then as a young adult in California, where she married her husband of 50 years, Homer Lee, who passed away in 2011. Diana is survived by their three sons Kip, Bart, and Brian, their wives, and their four grandchildren, and her brother Glenn Mounts.

Diana graduated from Helix High School in La Mesa, California in 1958, received her Associates of Arts Degree in Commercial Art in 1961, the year that she married Homer.

In 1962, Diana gave birth to her first son, Kipling Christian Lee. In 1964, her son Barton Mitchell Lee was born. In 1967 Brian Justin Lee was born, and Bart was identified by the John Tracy Clinic in LA as having a hearing loss. Diana attended language development classes and parent classes, and demonstrations at nursery schools to learn more about how to best teach her son to communicate. Once Bart had started school in an oral preschool classroom at a local school, while she continued to support Bart, Diana devoted her life to service for families with deaf and hard of hearing children.

Diana's vocation and extensive career had many recognitions and accomplishments. As a loving wife and mother, Diana moved with her family from California to Bellingham, Washington, to Ida Elementary and then on to Fairfield, CA and LaPlace, Louisiana. During this time, Diana remained dedicated to her education and vocation, beginning in 1972 as Supervisor of Early Auditory Resource Service, a volunteer organization where she managed the screening of preschool and kindergarten children for hearing loss, while taking child development courses at the community college. She served as a Volunteer Teachers Aide in several hearing impaired classrooms throughout her moves.

In LaPlace, Louisiana, Diana received her B.S. degree in Lower Elementary Education from Louisiana State University in 1977 before moving again, to Northboro, Mass, where she attended Boston University and received her M.Ed. in Deaf Education. And in 1978 - 1979 Diana taught at Boston School for the Deaf.

In 1979 she moved to Charlotte, where she lived out the rest of her life. In that same year, as a teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Diana Lee developed and implemented the state’s first public-school Parent Infant Program for hearing impaired children in a home centered program. She co-founded BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in 1982. She participated in the Advisory Committee that developed and edited the first Parent Manual for Beginnings published in 1990. Diana was elected President of the Board of Directors in 1994, serving in that position for two years. During that time she testified in committee in the state legislature to get funding for the new non-profit organization. She served as a member of the Board of Directors until 2005.

Diana Joined the Bill Parker Sertoma Club in Charlotte, where she served as President from 2000 to 2001. Although diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, Diana continued her career, volunteerism and education, attending the Summer Institute in Chapel Hill where she went through chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In 2002, with colleagues, and resources from the Bill Parker Sertoma Club, Diana co-founded the “Toys for Talking” project in Charlotte.

When not working, Diana refreshed herself with world travel, enjoying cruises and other adventures with her husband, family, and friends. She spent summers enjoying Hilton Head Island, and autumns enjoying Banner Elk with her family. She also traveled to Hawaii and Alaska, the Caribbean, Tahiti, Africa, the Netherlands, Russia, China, the Galapagos Islands, and Australia. Many of her friends will remember her fondly for her skill in bridge, Words with Friends, and Bunco.

Friends and loved ones will be received for a celebration of her life on Saturday October 21, 2023 at 3:00pm in Freeman Hall at the Unitarian Universalist Community of Charlotte - 234 N. Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28211.

Diana’s happy place was on the beach with her toes in the sand, so please consider festive and beach attire as appropriate. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Sertoma at: https://www.sertoma.org/Ways-to-help/Make-a-Donation or BEGINNINGS at: https://ncbegin.org/how-to-help/

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestlawnwest.com for the Lee family.