Person

Wong Shee (wife of King Lee)

• Mrs. Lee Thang
• Mrs. King Lee
• Lee, Lily
• Wong, Lily

1895-1972

Wong Shee was born in China on September 1, 1895. She and LEE King married in China around 1911.

LEE King returned to Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1913 and again in 1915, this time with Wong Shee. In Canada, she was known as the wife of King Lee (Mrs. King Lee) and adopted the anglicized name of Lily. She was one of the first Chinese women to live in the Windsor-Detroit area.

Over the years, the couple would own a number of restaurants and finally a tavern with a hotel. They would have six Canadian-born children: Alfred (b. 1916), Peter (b. 1919), Edward (b. 1921), Ben (b. 1924), May (b. 1926) and Jimmy (b. 1929).

Three of their sons – Peter, Edward and Ben – would enlist in Canada’s war effort during WWII. The eldest, Alfred, remained at home to take care of the family business.

When the war ended, sons Peter, Ben and Jimmy took over the business. Alfred passed away in Boston in 1956. Edward opened Edgewater Marine in 1959.

When LEE King passed away in 1946, Lily kept the family together. Her sons would have dinner with their mother during the weekday. The grandchildren would have lunch with her every Sunday after church.

As one of her granddaughters, Linda Lee-Egan recalls “My sister and I and two cousins remember spending a week during the summers with my grandmother. We also remember going to the market with her every Saturday.”

Lily passed away in 1972.

Lee, Ben (1924-1993)

Lee, Alfred ([1915]-1956)

Lee, Peter (1919-1992)

Lee, Edward (1921-2012)

Lee, King ([1877]-1946)

Description supplied by collector/curator