Betty Jean Lee

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.

I am a Chinese adoptee and have fond memories of feeding the koi at The Pagoda. Mrs. Lee was like a grandmother who always received me (& my adoptive family) with a smile... I will forever cherish the feeling of acceptance during a time I felt so different from my (white) friends and family. In addition to the wonderful memories of grandma Lee and her lovely restaurant, I was also a recipient of one of Lee´s Heritage Scholarships. Thank you Mrs. Lee (& family) for the positivity and legacy...

Betty Jean and I became acquainted in a swim aerobics class in our condo community. She invited me and several others to join her on a trip to China. I enjoyed that so much that I traveled with her again later to Taiwan and then the Huangshan mountains of China. She was an amazing talented respected woman whom I will miss deeply.

Betty Jean is one of my earliest and sweetest memories from our move to Portland in 2016. I met her regularly at our condo activities, and she even took a group of us to Chinese massage. She is the reason we joined Lan Su so early in our stay here. She will be missed.

My sincere condolences to Betty Jean´s family. I am a grateful recipient of the Fred G. Lee scholarship from 25 years ago. She is a remarkable woman who has led a remarkable life. She leaves a lasting legacy of service and compassion. Betty Jean has been an amazing community leader and supporter of generations of young people in the community. I am very grateful to have been among those whose lives she has touched.

Growing up, I was always in awe of the activities and contributions BJ, as I always referred to her, gave to the community. Her heart and soul went into supporting, giving, and sharing with others. She was a great inspiration to me and taught me how to give back to the community. When I would come to Portland for business, she always opened her home to me and made really good meals to sustain me! Portland has lost a huge pillar of the community. May her life's work continue on forever. ...

When I was a high school kid in the late 1970s and early 1980s playing on the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) basketball team, I did not realize then that Betty and Fred helped create those opportunities for us. Much later when I came back from the Air Force and Helen invited me to volunteer at the CACA, that first CACA meeting I attended included Keith, Juliana, and of course, Betty Jean; she was always at CACA meetings and gatherings while also engaged in various other community...

I worked for Betty Jean from 1989 till her retirement in 2000. After she left Chin´s Import Export, we remained in touch and got together when life permitted. Seeing and working with someone 5 days a week for 11 years, you get to know someone pretty well. Betty Jean wore so many hats, was always on the go, so dynamic and a force to be reckon with. She was a giver, kind and had a high level of integrity. She was my Boss, Mentor, Work Mom and Friend. Betty Jean had such a positive...