Yue Yee Lee

Yue Yee Lee was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

       His parents were Li Iu( Wing Kwong) and Chan Suet Ping. Yue Yee was raised in Hong Kong. He was brought up in a wealthy family. His father owned many busineses including bank, bakery and harbor. Yue was humble and kind, self-confident and dependable. He went through World War 2 and had a few years hardship in childhood. The ups and downs in life made him cherished what he had. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Lee household was a bit different than most homes. His father had four wives and they all lived together. Yue Yee was raised with twenty one siblings. He had ten older brothers, ten older sisters and one young sister. Being a younger one, his siblings took good care of him. Yue had a great respect and thankfulness to his siblings especially the few that looked after him during war time. Yue got along well with the siblings and he was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. He enjoyed his chilhood life and Yue Yee was always consistently loyal to his family. The good relationship with his siblings lasted through his adulthood.

      As a young child, Yue Yee was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Yue Yee developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Yue Yee took part in judo, horseback riding and swimming. In his spare time he liked playing with his siblings and spending time with his many friends.

      After World War2, Yue got into Queen's College to complete his high school. He had a pretty good time there as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He enjoyed school and the friendship with classmates lasted for a lifetime. He liked learming overall and did well in school. Yue Yee was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Yue Yee always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

       Compassionate and devoted to Suet Yee, Yue Yee held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Suet Yee and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy. Yue was talented in real estate investment and this accumulated some wealth and provide a better life for the family

      Yue Yee brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his daughter Chi Wai. He was a good parent to her, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Yue Yee was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Yue Yee was blessed with one child, Anna(Chi Wai) and two grandchildren, Jessica and Kevin.

      Yue Yee greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Yue Yee enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Yue Yee was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Yue worked only one job in his lifetime as a banker. He was employed for 32 years by Banque Indosuez. Yue Yee worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Yue Yee liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Yue Yee always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuit were Majong, enjoys eating out with his family and friends, real estate shopping. Yue Yee was content to enjoy his hobbies and was always willing to share his interests with others.

      Yue Yee loved family life, enjoyed home made food and relaxing at home. He travelled sometimes. He was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything. Trips were well plan. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas, Europe, Hawaii and Taipei.

      Yue Yee was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. His family was rounded out by his dog Kaya and cat Onyx.

      When Yue Yee’s retirement finally arrived in 1985, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Vancouver, Canada to be closer to his brothers. In retirement, he found new pleasure in Tai Chi, grocery shopping, dim sum with friends. Even in retirement, Yue Yee continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      Yue Yee Lee passed away on August 19, 2022 at Mt St Joseph Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Complications from Alzheimer. He is survived by his daughter Anna(Chi Wai), his grandchildren Jessica and Kevin. Services were held at Hamilton Harron Funeral Home. Yue Yee was laid to rest in Ocean View Cemetery in Burnaby, BC, Canada.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Yue Yee Lee. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Yue Yee Lee on August 19, 2022 at the age of 92. Beloved husband of the late Suet Yee Lee, loving father of Anna (Chi Wai), proud grandpa to Jessica and Kevin.

The funeral service will be held on August 31, 2022 at 10:00 am at Hamilton Harron Funeral Home, 5390 Fraser Street, Vancouver British Columbia. Burial will follow at 12:00 pm at Ocean View Burial Park 4000 Imperial Street, Burnaby, British Columbia.

The family sincerely thanks you for sharing their sadness and loss. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated and will always be remembered.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hamiltonharronfunerals.com for the Lee family.