Ford Lee

Ford Lee was born on December 3, 1931, at the Chinese Hospital in Chinatown in San Francisco. He passed away peacefully on Monday, April 29th, 2024. He left a lasting legacy.

Ford was the fourth of six children of Lim Guey Him and Wong May Lin, and he grew up in Chinatown, attending Commerce High and the University of California at Berkeley. He met Patricia Leong while attending youth group and choir at the True Sunshine Episcopal Church, and they married in 1954. Ford and Pat would be lifelong partners. This year would have been their 70th anniversary. They had four boys over the first eight years: Gary, Keith, Mark and Brant.

Ford had an optimistic outlook on life, and an adventuresome spirit. After college he worked as an electrical engineer for the U.S. Navy, and In 1965, with four young boys in tow, the family moved to Madrid, Spain, where they stayed for three years. Their fifth child, Karina, was born in Spain on Three Kings Day. During the summers they would travel by car throughout Europe, often bringing along friends and relatives who would join them.

The Chinatown YMCA was a lifelong cause for Ford. In 1950, as a graduating member of the Atlas high school club, he joined with others from two other Y high school clubs to form a young men's service group, Alpha RAM Omega, or the AROs. The AROs were the backbone of community support for the Y for many decades. They raised funds, they volunteered to organize and staff events, they brought their young children to family swim nights and later sent them to the Chinatown Y's unique volunteer-run summer camp; the same camp that he attended in 1946. Ford joined the Y's Board of Managers in 1977 and stepped off 45 years later, in 2022. He started cooking at Res Camp in 1988, and continued as Camp Cook for 30 years, until 2018. In 1996 he was named the Humanitarian of the Year, the broader San Francisco YMCA's designation for their top community volunteer. His daughter Kari started working for the YMCA in 1996, and became Executive Director in 2005.

After retiring from the Navy in 1987, Ford went to San Francisco State University to earn his teaching credential in math. In 1988 he began teaching at Francisco Middle School-from which he had graduated in 1947-and he said it was the toughest job he ever had, and very rewarding.

In 1990, he left teaching to support the Y's building project full-time. Over the next two decades he served as Project Committee Chair, among other roles. After many stalls and twists and turns, the community eventually raised $12.5 million. The newly renovated Chinatown YMCA building opened in 2010. It was his crowning achievement. In 2011, on the occasion of the Chinatown Y's 100-year anniversary, Ford co-wrote and edited a book detailing Chinatown Y's history.

Together with Pat, Ford loved to travel. With various friends and relatives, they ventured to many far-flung destinations, including Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Egypt, Vietnam, and Tibet. Even into his eighties, he was still bringing grandchildren along on international trips to see new things.

Ford enjoyed playing cards. For many years, Ford was a regular at the bridge club. Later, he was a Liverpool Rummy champion, and it was not unusual for him to win four out of the seven rounds in that game, with five or six other players trying their best.

Ford was also a beloved brother, father, grandfather, and uncle. He was a reliable resource if you wanted a compassionate response and a truly generous heart. He loved playing with and caring for babies, children, and grandchildren and poured his heart and soul into cooking for youth and families at the Y for every occasion.

Ford is survived by his wife Pat, his sister Flora, his children Gary, Keith, Mark, Brant, and Kari, his grandchildren Matthew, Darren, Shea, Kerry, Taran, Keana, and Kailer, and many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends who remember him well.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Chinatown Y, 855 Sacramento Street in San Francisco, on Friday June 7, 2024, at 1:00-3:00 pm. Casual Dress. Please wear your favorite Warriors, Cal, or YMCA attire.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chinatown YMCA in Ford Lee's honor: https://www.ymcasf.org/memory-ford-lee