Lee was born to Charles and Lola Zuber on October 2, 1923 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Richard “Dick” H. Martin, Jr. Lee is survived by her four children, Cynthia Colyer (Michael) of Lenexa, Kansas; Richard H. Martin III (Kathy) of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; Linda S. “Susie” Bowers (Craig), of Gilbert, Arizona; and Michael S. Martin (Rebecca) of Bucyrus, Kansas. Lee is also survived by eleven grandchildren, Solitaire Colyer Ware, Michael Colyer, Sean Colyer, Jason Jennings, Juston Jennings, Shaunay Martin, Stephen Bowers, Alexandra Bowers Howard, Amanda Bowers, Rion Martin, and Travis Martin; and six great-grandchildren.
Lee received a diploma in nursing in 1944 from St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Fort Wayne and a B.S. in health service in 1980 from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. She travelled the world as a flight attendant for Pan American Airlines from 1948 to 1950. She married Dick in 1951 and resumed her nursing career at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City and later was a nurse in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lee returned to Kansas City in 1962 and began working at Menorah Medical Center at the old Rockhill Road location. Her positions at Menorah included medical ICU nurse, head nurse of neurology, nursing quality assurance coordinator, and nursing supervisor. Her warm and caring approach earned Lee the respect of patients, nurses, and physicians. In 2001, her peers at Menorah presented her with the Morris and Helen Van Raatze Dreyfus Memorial Nursing Award. In 2004, Ingrams Magazine named Lee to its list of Heroes in Healthcare. After more than 60 years in nursing, Lee retired in 2004 at the age of 80.
The family wants to thank the staff at the care center of Lakeview Village where Lee spent her final year of life. The professional care combined with the love and tenderness showed to Lee and the other residents was inspiring. The family also wants to thank Vitas for its compassionate care and support.
Lee has asked her family to scatter her ashes from a hot air balloon so that she can play in the clouds forever.
Because of the present pandemic, a celebration of life will be held at a later date.
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