Robin Sue Lee

Robin was born in Fort Madison, Iowa on July 18, 1951 to Clarence & Elizabeth Stewart. She was the third of four children: her older sister and brother, Rachel & Robert, and a younger sister, Connie. All of whom predeceased her. Robin graduated Fort Madison High School in 1969, then on a trip through Texas with her parents chose to attend Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. There she met Mike Lee, later paused her education then moved to Germany where they married in 1971. At the end of their two-year assignment, they returned to Texas and moved to Houston.

Robin finished her business degree at University of Houston and began her career in higher education at UT Health Science Center in 1977. She left there for Baylor College of Medicine in 1987, where she retired in 2015.

Robin was a transplanted Texan, and when asked where she was from, she would invariably reply, “the mid-west,” not caring that those asking may have no idea where that is. She never bought into the Texas State of Mind and didn’t feel that being within the state lines was any different than other places in the country. But she stayed and tolerated her friends who did.

Robin was a devoted sports fan—in 1986 when the Astros won their division championship, she made every home game. And when the Rockets won their first NBA Championship in 1994, she watched it on TV from a bar in Alaska and cried when they won. Nothing stopped Robin from watching those games!

Robin was a world traveler and managed to visit every continent and dip a toe in all the oceans. She rode a cable car to the top of the Zugspitze (9700’) in Germany, and hiked to the top of Mt. Fuji (12400’) in Japan. She chased the northern lights from Alaska to Norway; and climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. She got up close to lions in Africa and walked with the penguins in Antarctica. She had just returned from a tour of the Galapagos Islands when she discovered she was terminally ill. She fought the good fight—believing to the end that she could somehow make that Trans-Mongolian Railway tour that was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Robin was a devoted Aunt and easily developed and maintained friendships throughout her life. She was reliable and friends and family could depend on her for a drive home or a ride to the airport, a bed for the night or a room for the week; a home cooked meal, or a beer in her backyard. She was there and her door was always open.

Robin is survived by nieces Tiffany Stewart & Sloan Kessinger, nephew Brice (Emy) Stewart and their families who are all from Illinois; surrogate family, Nichole Abrams & Darin Vicknair and their children of Texas, and many friends and neighbors.

Private arrangements handled by Pat H. Foley. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Robin’s memory to Houston Public Media.