Mom and I making pasteles last year on Dec. 15th 2018.  She kept laughing because I was making them too fat- too much masa.  What a great moment to remember my mom passing down tradition.  I did not have the heart to make them this year, but maybe next year. We still had a few left over from last year and  I did eat one.  It was so good.  Love you mom, Joyce

Mom,
Thinking of you during Christmas.  What wonderful memories I have of you, dad, my siblings and all of our current family members as we celebrated Christmas.  I am so thankful that you taught us some of the PR traditions for this holiday season:  pernil, arroz con gandules and pateles.  These dishes will always remind me of you and dad and these wonderful memories will always be cherished.  You would be proud of the pernil and arroz con gandules I made for Christmas.  I miss you very much.  I know that you and dad are with us in spirit.  Love your daughter, Joyce

Mom,  

Today is the First Thanksgiving that I have ever spent without you.    I still cannot belive your gone.   Thanksgiving was always a special day for you and our entire family.   I remember how generous you and Dad were when we were growning up.  Although you had 5 kids to feed you and dad would go to Lackland Airforce base to pickup 1 or 2 soldiers who were away from thier family’s.  You would bring them into our home and treat them as if they were family.  I have always been proud of you for many things but this act made me most proud.

Everyone who met you loved you and you were always open to new experiences.   Your kind heart will be missed.  I cannot express how much I love you and will miss you.  You were THE BEST mom.

One day we will be together again.  Until then know that I love you.  

Love,
Billy 

Mom,
I am so blessed to have had you as my mother.  The many gifts you gave us will be with us forever, your kindness, your support, but mostly your love.  There are no words to express how I feel and how much I will miss you.  You taught me how to cook PR food, clean the house, drive a car, crochet blankets and doilies, and make macrame purses and plant holders.  My heart is broken, but I know that you had a wonderful life.  You are with Dad, Grandma, and your sister now.  I only wish that I can be as good a mother as you were to me.  I will always love and miss you as long as I live.  Rest  in peace mommy, until we meet again.
Love, your daughter
Carol

I remember the first time I met Ms. Mercedes.  It was at the baby shower for Stephen and Abby.   She had such a pleasant smile and was so excited to be with her family.  Over the next few years, I was able to visit with Ms. Mercedes at family events at Joyce and Lonnie's.  She was so funny telling me stories about her love for dancing and the things she did growing up.  She also tried to help me pronounce some words in puerto rican and I all managed to do was to make her laugh.  Her laughter was the best.  It was from her heart.   Ms. Mercedes will always be a part of my heart and it was an honor to know her.  I am thankful for her daughter Joyce, my dear and wonderful friend, who loved Ms. Mercedes beyond words and showed that love always.

Mom,

I write to you to Thank you for being my mom.  I am so blessed to have had you in my life for 56 years.  Not everyone can say that.  I have learned so many things from you:  the love of dancing, the magic touch of PR cooking (Sofrito & Adobo), the art of cleaning “mom’s way” and the love of nursing.  

Words can not express my gratitude.  I remember when I was in my teens that you told me that I would not understand the love of a mom until I became a mom.  I now understand what you meant.  I have become you, in that, I have shared this with Steven and Samantha:  that a parent will do anything for their kids and that they will understand this when become parents.  I can see they are great parents to their kids.  

Now that I am a grandmother, I understand another amazing level of love for grandkids.  A level of love that is indescribable until you become a grandmother.  Seeing you enjoy your great-grandkids: (Katherine, Graham, Luke and one on the way)these past 3 years, lets me know that there is even more great things to come and look forward too.

You have enjoyed your family and have shared your love to all of us in your own special way.  I was blessed to spend most of the time with you these pasted 2 years.  The great times and memories we made were worth every moment.  I will cherish these past two years and keep them close to my heart.

Even though my heart is broken at this time.  This is the circle of life.  A life well lived.  Full of love of family and quite devotion to the Virgin Mary and God Almighty.

I will miss you deeply.  May you Rest In Peace with dad and watch over us until we meet again.  You will be on our minds always and in our hearts forever.

Love, Your Daughter
Joyce

Joyce, Lonnie, Steve, Sammy & Family,  You all are in our thoughts and prayers.   We loved Mrs. Lee!

It was always a good time visiting with her.   Mrs. Lee  had a great sense of humor and always kept us smiling as she  praised the care and love she was experiencing.  Going to miss my gambling buddy!

Our deepest sympathies,
Rose & Jimmy


Mrs. Lee is what I always called her, she was my second Mom.  I was the luckiest man on earth to meet and marry her beautiful daughter Joyce Katherine Lee.  Mrs. Lee accepted me as the first son-in-law in her wonderful family and boy what a great family.  I grew to learn and love the Puerto Rican culture.  She had a great sense of humor and I loved her accent.  She loved her family, grand children and great grand children.  She loved to cook and what a great cook she was.  She also loved her Puerto Rican island and music.  She loved to dance, loved to watch college football and loved to play the slots!  I will miss her dearly.

Love always (Con Carino),
my beloved nickname - "Lonnie Kalani"

I'll always remember your infectious laugh, Mrs. Lee.  You always had everyone laughing with your lively stories and asking us all to tell you a joke, and dirty jokes were good, too! Remember spending the night at your house before Lonnie and Joyce were even married. The Lee house was always fun! Good conversation, lots of laughing and the best food! You were so loved and will truly be missed.

My deepest sympathy for the family. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Much love, 
Valerie Brewer

We absolutely adored Mercedes.  Her only son William (our son-in-law) inherited her fun and witty sense of humor - thank you Mercedes!  One of the children took this photo but it is so beautiful I just need to post it!

To the Lee Family, please accept my sincere condolences. I’m so sorry for your loss. I truly loved your mom & dad. I just saw this. I’m so sorry. I know how much all you kids loved her. She was the best & will be surely missed. 
  If I can do anything at all please let me know. I am back in Reno or I’d be there to celebrate her life. She was a tremendous person. I’m gonna miss her a lot. Know she’ll be with you in your memories forever. You were all blessed to call her mom. 
Live you all. LanaSummers 

Merch, you will be missed. We share the 2 greatest granddaughters, & I know they’re already missing you. 
We didn’t get together near enough.
Much love
Denise & Russ Hosterman 
Gary’s parents in Pennsylvania 

More than anything I will always remember the smell... the smell of arroz con gandules. Every since I was a little girl that smell surrounded your house . I knew exactly what you were making. I knew I would probably eat 5-6 bowls  and take home another pot full in your saved tuberware (aka. Recycled large tub of butter)

I will never forget fighting with the other granddaughters over the burnt rice at the bottom. You’d give us the pot and the big metal spoon to scrape the last of it . 
You’d always ask me to test taste and I think it was because you wanted me to tell you how good it was . You never made a bad pot ! Your food was made with love and always brought together the family. 

I remember always watching The Price is Right and Family Fued with you. You yelling at the TV , and almost always guessing the questions right.Your laugh and you accent was my favorite! I learned to understand most crazy accents in college  because of you. 

Among other things you taught me how to crotchet, cook, and most of love people! I know you and grandpa and running that casino in heaven . 

Love always ,
Samantha (strawberry), Heath, Katherine( cherry) , Luke( coconut)

My deepest sympathies to Mrs. Lee's family, especially to her daughter Carol and her family.

Edit: 
I don't think you brought the food but you were secretly eating though! 

By the way I'll never forget when we stayed at your house and I went to shower in your big bath and I didnt know how to change the temperature of the water and so I came out and you said something along the lines of "you look like a lobster" from being so red from the HOT water! 

Grandma, 
I love you so much and I am so blessed to be able to be your granddaughter! You have been there for me throughout my life and I am so thankful for all the times we spent together. You always knew how to keep a positive vibe in the room! You always were so happy especially when I brought the kids around, singing, dancing, playing with them! Thank you for everything being there for the birth of my kids ( even though you brought food in the delivery room when I couldn't eat when was in labor and all I could think about was food 🤣), for being supportive of me with my marriage, for being there when I graduated my high school and later to come my nursing school, and so many more. You truly are an amazing role model! I am going to miss you so much but I know grandpa welcomed you with open arms and you 2 are so happy probably at the casinos in heaven! Until we meet again! I love you! 
Love 

Errrriccc 
(Only because you never pronounced the "a " at the end!) 

OBITUARY

Mercedes D. Lee

August 10, 1935 – October 29, 2019

Sunset Memorial Park & Funeral Home

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