Chiemin Lee's Obituary
Chiemin Lee, age 98, passed away peacefully at her home in San Jose, California, on November 7, 2016, at 4:10 p.m., surrounded by her family and loved ones.Mrs. Lee was born on February 19, 1918, in the city of Qidong, in Jiangsu Province, China, to Sung Fang-Tze and Madame Shi. She was the eldest of four children and helped care for her three younger sisters. She graduated not only from her local high school but also from Normal Teacher’s School, which was quite a feat for a woman in her generation. She taught students at the fifth and sixth grade level for the next three years.In 1941, she was introduced to her future husband, Yee Lee, through a mutual friend and colleague. They were soon married and had four children, the first of whom unfortunately passed away before she was named. The eldest surviving child they named Shiuh-Hwa, the second child and eldest son Shiuh-Kai, and the baby of the family Shiuh-Wuu.Amidst the turmoil of war-torn China, Mrs. Lee provided the backbone to her family. During the anti-Japanese war, she moved to inner China where her husband was employed to build several power-plants. When civil war broke out in 1945 and the Guo Min Dang later retreated to Taiwan, her husband was offered a position as power-plant manager in Taiwan before the regime change on the mainland occurred. Although she had to uproot the family once again, she supported the move to Taiwan in 1948. In Taiwan she dedicated all her time and efforts to her children and husband, providing a stable and loving home environment in a time of uncertainty. Although she was married to the head of the largest power plant in Taiwan, she remained industrious. She raised her own chickens to cut costs, lived very simply, and poured her entire heart into her family. She navigated a complicated political environment and stood steadfastly beside her husband during an era of corruption and bribes. In keeping her integrity, she set an example for her children and presented a united front with her husband.In 1959 her husband, who was renowned engineer, developed a patent and a US company in Detroit indicated it would apply for immigration for the family. He traveled to the US to establish and design the practical application of the patent (used mostly by major car manufacturers, such as Buick, Ford, and Pontiac). Mrs. Lee uncomplainingly managed the household alone until February 1962, when she braved the long trip alone with her young children so she could rejoin her husband in Detroit, MI. The first few years were very peaceful, and the family moved to Lexington, MI, where they were eventually able to build a house. Shiuh-Kai and Shiuh-Hwa were able to go to college. Later, there were conflicts over the royalties of the patent and again the family endured financial straits. Despite these difficulties, Mrs. Lee was able to send her youngest to college as well, before moving to Detroit where her husband found work with the City. Even during this time of hardship, in the face of the turbulent Detroit riots, she put everything into the education for her children.Eventually, her husband joined Bechtel and the family once again found financial stability. Mrs. Lee moved to Maryland and then Ann Arbor, MI where Mrs. Lee helped spearhead a new family enterprise of real estate rentals. Mrs. Lee played an integral part in the family business–acting as the accountant and manager–and helped expand a single complex in 1972 to three complexes. In 1991, she and her husband moved to Davis, CA to be closer to her two sons who lived in the Bay Area. She ran apartments near the UC Davis campus for almost a decade until she moved to San Jose, CA in 2000. In 2005, her beloved husband passed away at the age of 92. Mrs. Lee lived with her daughter Shiuh-Hwa until the end.Mrs. Lee found her greatest joy in the success of her family. She was able to develop a close and loving relationship with all her relatives, and will be remembered dearly. She is survived by her three children, her five adult grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.A memorial service will be held on Friday, November 18, 2016, at 10:30 a.m., in the Crystal Spring Chapel at the Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo where she will be buried next to her devoted husband.
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