Mr Peter Bee Lim Lee's Obituary
Peter Bee Ock Lim Lee, a resident of San Francisco, passed away peacefully on 20 October 2022 in Redwood City.Peter was born on 9 April 1933 in a small village outside of Taishan City, Guangdong province, People’s Republic of China to Gim Hong Lee (father) and Tuey Jee Hom (mother). He was one of five children. Destined to be a farm boy by birth place, he was fortunate enough to emigrate to the United States in 1951. He reunited, in San Francisco, with his father who had already emigrated earlier. His elder brother had also emigrated earlier and was on the east coast.Peter was a good student and graduated from Galileo High School in San Francisco, whereupon he went to UC Berkeley and received a degree in Civil Engineering. After graduating, he served his new country in the United States Army, 4th Infantry Division, Seattle, Washington. He was proud of his service and maintained some lifelong friendships formed in the barracks. After finishing his service, he returned to San Francisco, obtained his ProfessionalEngineer certification, and began a thirty year career in engineering with Caltrans.Shortly after beginning his career, he was introduced to his future bride, Yim (Ada) Lim. Although they grew up within 200 yards of each other outside of Taishan City, they had not met before. They courted, fell in love, and were married in December 1965. Together, they bought ahome in San Francisco and raised three kids. Peter with a mechanical mindset, dabbled in working on the cars, home repairs and additions, and was an early audiophile (building his own hifi system). Despite his busy schedule, Peter always found time for his family. He seldom missed any of his kid’s milestone events or being present at their activities. He was most happy when he was with his family. His kids grew up in the era of the American road trip, and many a family vacation involved a road trip. Among the most memorable were trips to Zion NP, Bryce NP, Grand Canyon NP, Yellowstone NP, Crater Lake NP, Banff NP (Canada), Vancouver (Canada), and of course numerous trips to Yosemite NP and Lake Tahoe.After retiring from Caltrans, Peter was able to travel more and spend time with his grandchildren. Peter and Ada enjoyed cruising and traveling abroad, and with a flexible schedule, they took advantage of many opportunities. But family, which had grown to include three grandkids, was still first. Peter and Ada were a great help to their kids, and assisted multiple days a week with picking up and caring for the grandkids. Peter did all of the transportation duties, and always guided the grandkids with sage advice. He was also a foodie, and enjoyed dining out. Peter and Ada hosted family dinner weekly for the whole family, and Peter always insisted on doing the dishes. And, if the 49er’s were playing, the television would be left on through dinner! A life long learner, even as his hearing diminished and his eyes fatigued faster, Peter enjoyed reading and watching documentaries. His mind sharp, he enjoyed discussing politics nationally and abroad. He was always a trove of knowledge and advice.Peter was a good friend to many, a great father and grandfather, and a loving husband. He was loved greatly and will be missed very much.
Peter is preceded in passing by his wife Ada (2020). Peter is survived by: Hubert (Jenny) Lee (son, Emerald Hills), Alanna Lim (daughter, San Francisco), Adoria Lim (daughter, San Francisco), Theodore Lee (grandson, Emerald Hills), Maxwell Lee (grandson, Emerald Hills), Sophia Troung (granddaughter, San Francisco), and Franceen Lim Clark (niece, Asheville, North Carolina)
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