Judy Lynn Lee

Judy Lynn Lee, 54, of Machesney Park, left earth for Heaven with dignity and peace at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, after a long, amazingly courageous battle with cancer. She was born Jan. 7, 1959, in Rockford.

She loved gardening; feeding the birds; ceramics; riding her bicycle; and her cat, Moses. She was a given to hospitality and insisted on waiting on you as a guest in her home, whether or not you were a family member or friend. She felt deeply about the love of her life, Jesus Christ, and never missed a chance to lift another’s burden or to share her love for Him with others. In the last 12 months at her chemotherapy treatments, she was an inspiration of tenacity and fortitude, always arriving 45 minutes early for every appointment, feeling that maybe she could encourage others on her same path. She was civic minded, volunteering with the Salvation Army, Kiwanis and Fiesta Italiano, to name a few.

She leaves behind her mother, Margie Lee; three sisters, the Revs. Sharon (Ross Jr.) Miley, Marilyn (Paul) Diventi, the Revs. Connie (Brian) Palmer; four nieces, Dawn (Nathan) Withers, Amber (Josh) Earleywine, Moriah and Lindsay Palmer; and great-nephew, Isaac Withers.

Her father and hero, Floyd D. Lee predeceased her in February of 2013.

Special thanks to oncologist, Dr. Menart Esfahani, who became her hero after her dad’s passing; and to the kind nurses and staff at the SwedishAmerican Oncology Clinic and SwedishAmerican Hospital who cared for her during this journey.

There will be a celebration of her life at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at Riverside Assembly of God, 4242 W. Riverside Blvd., Rockford, with Rev. Ross Miley Jr. officiating. Interment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to her family, in her name to Sunset Funeral Home, 8800 N. Alpine Road, Machesney Park, IL 61115. Condolences may be sent to sunsetfhmemgardens.com.