He will be lovingly remembered by his five children and five grandchildren: daughter, Abigail Smallwood (Bryan) and children, Tereza and Theodore; daughter, Bernadette Tyler (David) and children, James, Josephine, and Julia; daughter, KC O’Brien (Nate); and sons, John and Anthony. He is preceded in death by his parents Bing Hoo and Elizabeth Lee and his beloved wife, Tessie Evangelista Lee.
He was born on August 12, 1954 in Manila, the Philippines, the fourth of twelve siblings. He graduated with his degree in medicine in 1980 from the University of Santo Tomas. He was active in his alumni associations and nurtured those connections decades after graduation, remaining very close to many of his classmates and Titans fraternity brothers.
He moved to the United States in 1984. He married Tessie Estoesta Evangelista on July 28, 1984; they had met in the Philippines while she was a nurse at a hospital where he interned. Over time, they had five children of whom he was very proud. He did his best to be a good provider and parent to them. He opened his own medical practice in New Smyrna Beach, Fl in 1994 with affiliations at several local hospitals, practicing internal medicine until his retirement in 2018, and his patients adored him. He loved to learn and always had multiple medical journals bookmarked around the home. His greatest joy was to serve his community by improving health and saving lives.
Leslie was a devout Catholic, and he readily shared his faith that sustained him with his family and friends. He was a member of the parishes of St. Mary in Rockledge, Fl and St. Patrick in Gainesville, Fl. He had a keen interest in history, politics, and economics. Outside of work, he frequently had a football or basketball game on and cheered on the Florida Gators through their highs and lows. Later in life, he took great joy in reconnecting with old friends and spending time with his two grandsons and three granddaughters. He will be lovingly remembered by his family and greatly missed by his friends.
A funeral mass for Leslie will be held Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 12:00 PM at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1136 Seminole Drive, Rockledge, Florida with visitation before at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to:
*St. Mary Church in Rockledge, Fl https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z98A/home
*Holy Rosary Major Seminary, Naga, Philippines
*RCDU St. John Paul II House of Formation, Urdaneta, Philippines
*San José Seminary, Quezon City, Philippines
*Cash/check to KC O’Brien or https://www.paypal.me/kcobrien
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FloridaMemorialFH-Gardens.com for the Lee family.
