Mrs. Violet Lee

Violet Chan Lee passed away peacefully on January 28, 2026, due to complications from pneumonia just 2 days before her 87th birthday. She is predeceased by Leonard, her husband of 59 years.

Violet was born in Vancouver, BC and was the youngest of nine children. She attended Van Horne Elementary, John Oliver and Britannia Secondary School. She studied at UBC where she graduated with a Bachelor of Education and years later, while working full time, completed her Master of Education Degree taking night classes at UBC. She dedicated her career to education, working as an elementary school teacher for Surrey, North Vancouver and Richmond School Districts, eventually retiring from Jesse Wowk Elementary School in 1997.

Violet cherished spending time with both her immediate and extended family and especially enjoyed the time she spent with her sisters who were her best friends. She will be fondly remembered for her impressive organizational skills and the many roles she embraced throughout her life. She was always eager to help family and friends as a devoted party and wedding planner, an accountant, a seamstress, a painter, a chef, and a gardener. Above all, she was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was also famously known among family and friends for her delicious sticky rice. She enjoyed travelling to Wendover, Reno, Las Vegas, casinos in Washington state and in the Lower Mainland and cruising to Alaska, Eastern Canada and USA, Panama, Caribbean and Asia. Her favourite television shows were watching ice hockey (Go Canucks!), tennis, curling and the World Poker Tour.

Violet will be deeply missed by her three children, Tracey, Sandi, and Kelly (Darryl), and by her four cherished grandchildren, Kayla, Tyler, Alarii and Kieri. She is also lovingly remembered by her many nieces and nephews, and their children.

She is survived by her sister-in law Ann and predeceased by her sisters Irene (Harold), Eva (Ernie), Lily (Dick), Rose (Wally), and Pansy (Victor), as well as her brothers Harry, Howard (Margaret) and Herbert (Pearl).

We are comforted to know that she is at peace now and reunited with Leonard and her sisters where they will be playing mah jong, poker and getting into mischief.

We wish to express deep gratitude to the staff at Windermere Care Centre, especially the care aids for their compassion and care. They will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

Honouring Violet’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Violet’s memory may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation or the Canadian Red Cross.