Lee Moczygemba

Lee Moczygemba, 97, passed on December 29 in Austin. Lee was born in Palestine, TX to Lee and Bernice Stockbridge on September 23, 1924. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Texas Women’s University in Denton.

Lee had a long career at Exxon in Houston as an executive secretary and meeting planner. She struck out on her own at age 50 to become a professional speaker and trainer. She traveled the world doing workshops on confidence, professionalism, and presentation skills for 18 years. Lee was one of the first members of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and studied the techniques of speaking icons such as Zig Zigler, Norman Vincent Peale, and Cavett Robert. She also created the first local NSA Chapter in Houston, TX.

In 1993, she created Amazing Speakers and Trainers, a speakers’ bureau, selling the services of other professionals. In her last 20 years, she also provided coaching to help dozens of local professional speakers hone their keynotes and storytelling skills.

Lee is survived by her husband of 51 years, Joe Moczygemba, a son, Paul Peterson, and daughter-in-law, Debbie. Her grandchildren are Marc and David Peterson. Close friends of Lee are organizing a Celebration of Life on February 3rd at Chez Zee’s Gallery in Austin.

At an age when most people begin thinking of retiring, Lee decided to take the bold step into a new career. She had been working for many years as an executive secretary at Exxon when, at age 50, she felt a burning desire to become a professional speaker and trainer. The fact that she had zero experience did not faze her! All her life she had been a natural “ham,” becoming alive in front of an audience, holding their attention, and making them laugh. Filled with blind confidence, she knew she could learn whatever else was needed to realize her dream!

However, going into business for herself proved to be more daunting and complex than she had imagined. She enrolled in a public relations night class where she met a young woman who professed to know most everything about the subject. Lee thought this was the missing link she needed to launch her career. Even though the fee for consulting was a huge blow to her budget, she agreed to pay $150 for the one-hour, private session in her home.

In preparing for this appointment, Lee carefully set out her course materials, everything she had prepared to begin her training and speaking business. She also painstakingly arranged the most professional items in her wardrobe so as to make a good impression.

Right on time, Nancy arrived and after meticulously scrutinizing Lee’s wardrobe and materials, she made a startling, bold declaration: “Let’s see. You don’t have the wardrobe. You don’t have any experience. You don’t have your act together. You don’t know what you’re doing, and you said you have very limited funds. So, I think the best thing for you to do is to forget it. That will be $150!”

Lee was dumbstruck. She literally felt the wind knocked out of her chest. Writing the check was excruciatingly painful. As she walked Nancy out to her car, she felt a tear creep down the side of her face. Desperately needing to defend herself, just as Nancy was about to drive off, Lee let her know how she felt: “You may be right—but you don’t know me and you don’t know what I will do when I have to!”

Not surprisingly, Lee felt broken-hearted and broke. She went into the house and cried for the next three hours. Then she began to review the episode in a rational way. She talked to herself: That woman doesn’t believe in you. Do you still believe in yourself? Remember your promise to God and to yourself that if ever you were given a second chance, you would do whatever it took to master it—whatever talent God gave you! You know how persistent and resilient you are! You can do this! Remember, you have the determination of a Missouri mule!

So, she set to work—spending nights and weekends preparing. She never studied so hard. She never read so many books. She never lost so much sleep. She never before put so much energy into anything. She became alive! She admits she didn’t just open her mouth and become a great speaker: “I had a miserable time getting my brain and mouth to work together. It was really hard, but I stuck with it and gradually it all came together. I made the long journey from apprentice to journeyman to master of my craft.”

Fast-forward ten years. Lee had made her mark as an international professional speaker and trainer. Amazingly, this “late bloomer” worked another 8 successful years traveling the world, motivating and inspiring thousands of people. To top it off, she made an important contribution to her field by founding the first-ever local chapter of the National Speakers Association (NSA), located in Houston, Texas.

In 1993, she transitioned from speaking and training into coaching and marketing speakers, creating her own bureau, Amazing Speakers and Trainers International. During the last 20 years, she focused primarily on helping professional speakers hone their keynote and storytelling skills. She created a course to help budding speakers go from novice to professional–commanding $5,000-10,000 per speech. She even had a formula for getting a standing ovation. And, it worked!

Lee was still working on her memoir and coaching an occasional client at age 97. At her last birthday luncheon, she was trying to convince our very personable server that HE had a future as a professional speaker! She often referred to herself as Peter Pan’s twin sister, and vowed to keep teaching others “How to Think Young Forever!”

Right up to the end, she had a clear mind, an energetic spirit, a boundless love for life. No one has ever wanted to make it to 100 more than Lee. She even got a new email address: [email protected]. She was hardworking, had boundless energy, and thrived in the company of younger people.

Above all, she had an abiding faith in God and his goodness. She was grateful for her life and all the friends and family in it. Lee was, simply, a most amazing woman!

You can learn more about Lee by visiting these links:

Interview with San Antonio radio personality Sonny Melendez: https://sonnymelendrez.libsyn.com/2019/01.

Keeping Your Inner Child Forever, written for Brenda Coffee’s 1010parkplace.com:

https://1010parkplace.com/heres-what-94-looks-like/