Thomas Lee

Thomas B.K. Lee passed away on July 3, 2025 surrounded by his loving family in the weeks leading up to his passing. He is survived by his wife Fiona, his daughter Christine, his son Jeffrey (wife Reena), and his grandchildren, Coby and Ania.

Tom was born on July 8th, 1942 in Hong Kong, the youngest child of Woon Foo and Yee Yong Lee. He immigrated to Australia, following the footsteps of his brother Frank Lee (wife Julia) and younger sister Cecilia Ku (husband Hilary), where he completed high school and enjoyed adventures Down Under with numerous cousins.

In 1966, he immigrated to the United States to join his brother Herbert Lee (wife Assunta) and sister Margaret Chui (husband Charles), and to continue his education. He obtained a Master’s degree at the University of California San Diego, before completing his PhD at the State University of New York at Buffalo where he met his wife, Fiona. They were married on June 30, 1973, had two children, Christine and Jeffrey, and settled down in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Tom had a rewarding career there as a chemist at Merck and Hoechst Celanese before his career advanced to a senior director role in process development at Roche in Florence, SC, prior to his retirement in 2002.

Tom spent his retirement years in San Leandro, CA, Havre de Grace, MD, and Rockville, MD, where he enjoyed investing in stocks and playing tennis (later transitioning to pickleball), poker, and mahjong with his friends and family. He and Fiona took memorable trips with family and friends, particularly on cruises and to destinations where good Chinese food was present. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and watching them learn to fish and play tennis. Tom always lifted the spirits of everyone he met and will be remembered as a good person who lived life with positivity, humor, joviality, steadfastness, and understanding.

A private funeral service for his immediate family will take place on July 5, 2025. A celebration of his life is planned for July 12, 2025, and details will be provided separately. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his memory to the American Heart Association.