Thomas D. Lee

Born in Taiwan as the second of five sons, he moved to New England in the late 1960s for his PhD studies in medicinal chemistry. After some years in Rhode Island and the San Francisco Bay area, Thomas eventually settled in New York with his wife Margaret and their two children.

Thomas began his chemistry career in pharmaceuticals, working to discover novel drugs and treatments for what was then Revlon’s healthcare division in Tuckahoe. In the late 1980s he transitioned into a food science career at General Foods, touching on such everyday products as Jell-O and also leading health-critical projects like sodium-reduction across different food categories. Later at Pepsico he became one of the nation’s top experts on sweetener substitutes and technology – also traveling the world from the Amazon to Borneo to uncover ingredients innovative to everyday American households.

In his spare time Thomas reveled in spoiling his grandchildren, having visited many a tourist gift shop in the Northeast and Midwest. He was also a known origami enthusiast and gardener; always eager to share some of his intricate paper flowers, dinosaurs and animals or delighting in delivering a bounty of Asian vegetables to the neighborhood.

Thomas is survived by his son Robert, daughter Jennifer, granddaughter Sophia, grandson Kai and daughter-in-law Lisa. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in his name to either the American Heart Association, the International Rescue Committee or World Central Kitchen.