Rachel K. Lee

Rachel Kirkland Lee passed peacefully into the hands of God on June 22, 2019. Rachel was born in Call, Texas, November 5, 1937. She moved to Beaumont at the age of 9 and lived the rest of her life in the Beaumont area. She attended South Park High School, class of 1956, where she met her future husband John “JM” Lee. They married in December of 1956 and were together for 35 years until John’s passing in 1992. Rachel was a proud Greenie, always enjoying class reunions and having regular luncheons with the “Greenie Girls”, a group of dear and loyal friends.

An enthusiastic traveler, Rachel was able to visit Canada, Mexico, England, France, Switzerland, Holland, Austria, Wales, Scotland, Germany, and explored several cities in Italy, Greece, and Turkey on a Mediterranean cruise. She also visited Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand, and sailed on several cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Rachel was an avid skier and skied at resorts from New Mexico to Alpe d’Huez, France, where she skied for the last time at age 66.

A faithful attendee of McCabe-Roberts Avenue Methodist Church for 50 years, singing in the choir and holding several volunteer positions within the church, Rachel displayed an unwavering faith in our Lord which was evident to all she touched. She was a proud member of Spindletop Rotary, loved attending the weekly meetings and seasonal events, and was always ready to lend a hand with service projects or fundraisers.

Rachel and JM founded IMI, Inc. in 1978 and together built it into a very successful machining and fabrication business. After JM’s early death in 1992 from ALS, Rachel continued as the owner and manager until selling the corporation and retiring in 2002. She was very proud of the fact that she was able to keep the business running and keep it successful in an industry where there were (and still are) few women-owned enterprises.

Rachel moved into an Assisted Living Apartment at Calder Woods in November of 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed her time there, socializing with the other residents and staff and participating in the numerous activities. Her family is very grateful for the love and care shown by all the nurses, aides, and other staff at Calder Woods, where her kind heart and upbeat attitude quickly endeared her to all the members of the Calder Woods family which she encountered on her daily walks throughout the facility. She spent her last two weeks at Harbor Hospice, where the staff were not only extremely competent, but very kind and respectful to her and to family and friends who visited.

Rachel is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Terry and Mark Stracke of Burnet, TX, and her son and daughter-in-law, John and Judith Lee of Beaumont. She leaves behind her loving companion and dancing partner of the last 16 years, Gordon Walker of Beaumont. She is also survived by 3 grandchildren, Eric Clark of Los Angeles, CA, Jessica Lee of Austin, TX, and Evan Lee of Beaumont, along with her aunt Lou Meguess of Beaumont, and her brother Pat Hunt of Richmond, TX. She was preceded in death by husband John Lee, brother Paul Kirkland, parents Stanley Kirkland and Katie Hunt, and her stepfather C.H.”Pat”Hunt.

Services to celebrate a life well-lived will be held at Forest Lawn Funeral Home at 11:00 am on Wednesday June 26, 2019, with internment after in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park next to her beloved husband. Visitation will be at Forest Lawn from 5 – 8 pm on Tuesday June 25, 2019.