Mavis LEE CHEE

LEE CHEE, Mavis Catherine Agatha
December 1, 1931 - Princes Town, Trinidad, West Indies
July 14, 2017 – Calgary, Alberta
On the 14th of July 2017 our beloved Mavis Catherine Lee Chee (nee Mohammed) went home to God. She was born in December 1, 1931 in Princes Town, Trinidad, WI. We will miss her laughter, strength and kind words of encouragement.
She attended St. Joseph's Convent in Trinidad where she earned her teaching certificate for English, Spanish and Latin. After several years of teaching and a long distance courtship, Mavis moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada to marry Gil. Mavis arrived in Calgary on a blustery blizzardy day in November and was met by Gils' extended Canadian family the Le Vesconte: Nana Iris and her children Ivor (Norma), Yvonne (Ken Arkley), David (Marion) and Michael (Patricia), and her many extended family nieces and nephews. They would become her lifelong Canadian family after she had left the tropics.
Mavis and Gil were married on December 19, 1964. Mavis and Gil worked tirelessly to build a loving and stable home for their two children. They always looked forward to annual family vacations to Mara Lake, BC with the Le Vesconte and other family friends, who would become the future members of the Dirty Dozen Whist Club. They would meet monthly for decades to play cards and enjoy numerous holidays throughout the year. Mavis will always be remembered for her famous Chinese Noodles that she would serve at most functions. Mavis divulged her secret recipe only to her children and grandchildren. Whist was not her only beloved game. BINGO may have ranked higher! She was a very active player at both Triwood and Thorncliff Community Centres. Many a night she would come home with considerably more than what she left with. Later in life she would go on many BINGO road trips throughout North America with the bingo ladies and she did "quite well for herself", as she would frequently say. Her other love was the Calgary Stampeders Football Club, where she and her husband held season tickets for 52 years. They were given a signed commemorative football from the Club for holding season's tickets for 50 years, during a special half-time ceremony. Mavis worked at Senator Patrick Burns JH in Calgary, where she was able to keep a close eye on her children and became a second mother to all their friends and other students that passed through those halls. She made lifelong friends working at SPB and was sorely missed when she retired in June of 1997.
Mavis and Gil would travel annually back home to Trinidad for Easter until travel became too difficult for them. All their families and friends in Trinidad will always cherish the memories of those visits and family reunions. Mavis's heart was her home. Her children and her grandchildren were her greatest joy. In sickness and health, good or bad she loved them dearly. Throughout Mavis's life she was always the glue that held everyone together and had the most generous soul.
A special thank you to Joan Thomas (Niece) who has been a godsend. Her care for Mavis and her assistance with Gil in the past few years made such a tremendous difference in their life.
Mavis is survived by her husband of 52 years Gibson (Gil) Lee Chee; her son Gregory (Tanya) and daughter Lori (Ian) Paine; and her six grandchildren, Matthew, Eric and Katherine Lee Chee and John, Alec and Kerran Paine. She was predeceased by her parents Melvina and Suppeer Mohammed; her brothers, Ricardo (Grace) and Franklin; and sister Sybil (Alston). Mavis was the eldest sibling of eight. Rupert, Judith, Orchid (Vernon), Carol (Peter), and Anthony (Debbie) and many nieces and nephews and family spread out across the world are left to mourn her passing.
Relatives and friends are invited to Celebrate Mavis's Life at Triwood Community Association (244 Chicoutimi Drive N.W.) on Sunday, September 10, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com.
The family would like to thank the Doctors, Nurses and staff on Unit 37 at the Foothill Medical Centre – Special Service for their dedication and care over the past several months.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Mavis's memory may be made directly to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, 6007 – 1A Street S.W., Calgary, AB T2H 0G5 Telephone: (403) 255-6108, www.kidney.ca.
In living memory of Mavis LeeChee, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park.