Sophia S. Lee

Sophia was born from a well-respected family in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, along with 7 other siblings. Her father, Jin-Wang, Lee (李進旺), was part of the rural gentry, a very important self-governed force in the rural areas of Taiwan. There were always full houses of people seeking his help to resolve disputes or requesting his opinion. Sophia had a very special bond with her father. Her father helped her survive her childhood pneumonia by holding her upright so that she could breathe, night after night, for two years. He did not give up on her and Sophia did not let him down.

Her mother, Syu, Lee-Shu (李許贖), handled her family and business with a great sense of humor and a strong vision. Mealtimes were happy occasions for the entire family; everybody enjoyed her cooking, and nobody wanted to be late to dinner. Sophia’s mother also insisted that all of their children, even the girls, must receive an education. This was a highly uncommon practice at the time, especially given the hardships the people faced from World War II. However, all of her children received above a high school education and became professionals in the fields they choose. Sophia admired her parents and appreciated all the love, trust, and support she got from her family.

Sophia was also a pioneer in every phase of her life:

At age 14, Sophia was accepted into the Taiwan Provincial Pingtun Normal School (省立屏東師專) with a full scholarship. She was very active in school with her academic works, sports, and arts, especially in Chinese Painting. She was invited to hang her works in a local art show.

Sophia was also the first student from her school to be accepted into the National Taiwan Normal University (國立師範大學) with a full scholarship by her principal's recommendation. She then majored in Educational Psychology and Counselling.

Sophia was one of the seed teachers for special education in Taiwan trained by the UN World Health Organization. She set up the first special education class in an elementary school and organized the first ever summer camp for mentally impaired children.

Her capability amazed all her supervisors and her advisers. They all encouraged her to pursue an advanced education in the U.S. and she did. Sophia earned her Master of Science degree from Simmons College. And then she became a very devoted Director of Social Work Services for Mental Health for the New York State Government, working tirelessly to help numerous mental health patients to reestablish their lives, even when others had given up on them.

Sophia was the first member of her family to immigrate to the U.S. She worked hard, planned well, and lived a very fulfilling life. She loved shopping, cooking, traveling, the theater, flower arrangements, and most of all, she loved people. She displayed an incredible capacity to understand others. Her incredible knowledge of a vast array of topics allowed her to converse with anyone, young or old, on a vast array of different topics. But most importantly of all, she could see beyond the mere words to understand the very feelings of the people she spoke to. Often from just a glance, she could tell what was in the person’s mind. She would skillfully talk to them and help them relieve the tension. When her friends and family succeeded, she was right there to celebrate with them and congratulate them. And when her grandnieces and grandnephews did something wrong, she never spoke harshly to them. Instead, she would inspire them, imbue within them the knowledge and conviction that they were better than this. And always, she would lead by example as an infallible role model for many in the younger generations. As a result, countless people she met in her life would walk away a better person.

Sophia was hospitable and fun to be with. All her friends were life-long friends. They’d be friends for over 60 year and still call each other every week. Sophia valued family and community. She refused to let her friends and family celebrate the holidays alone. Her apartment was the central meeting hub for friends and families. Year after year without fail, she held Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Chinese New Years parties for her friends and relatives for 50 years. Each time, she’d spend weeks planning the parties, decorating the apartment into a warm merry place for the holidays, and, even into her 80’s, she stubbornly cooked for many hours, even after a car accident that left her limping. Sophia was a fantastic chef-- whatever she tasted; she could reproduce and improve their flavor. Everyone loved her cooking.

Sophia was a lifetime learner; she was always eager to learn new things. At age 70, she began using computers, starting from the basics of how to “copy and paste”, and quickly went onto studying the stock market with the computer in a matter of days. When none of her fellow senior citizens, and even most millennials, were clueless about what exactly was “cloud computing”, she had already made money from trading cloud computing stocks. Sophia had concluded that all of her lifetime achievements were due to her education. She encouraged everyone to get a higher education and apply the knowledge in their field.

Sophia believed that charity started with the family. She took good care of her siblings while they were ill. She gave financial support to relatives when they were in need, but never asked for anything in return. Sophia never married and had no children, but she treated every niece and nephew like her own. She was the mentor and supporter for every one of them when they needed her. Sophia also saw through life from her experience. She did not ask anything more, only wished that everyone would remember her sometimes.

Yes, my dear aunty mommy, you already set up a model for us to follow. Your footprints are too large for any of us to fill, but we will try and strive to be like you. You will always be on our mind and your legacy will be passed from generation to generation.

We all love you very much and wish you rest in peace.