Lawrence Lee

(June 29, 1932 - August 12, 2015)
Lawrence Lee died peacefully at 83, on August 12th, surrounded by his loving family. He will best be remembered as a man whose remarkably kind and gentle spirit touched everyone who knew him. Born in a small village on the outskirts of Toishan, China, Lawrence, along with his mother, immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 15. After reuniting with his father, the family moved to Chinatown in Los Angeles where Lawrence studied English in preparation for high school the following year in San Pedro. After graduation, he joined the Air Force and was stationed for a time in Okinawa. It was during one of his frequent trips to Hong Kong that he met Judy, the woman with whom he would share 59 years of marriage. Returning to San Pedro after his discharge, he pursued an engineering degree while mastering Mandarin at Long Beach State University. Then, after working for 25 years as an engineer at McDonnell Douglas, he opened the Canton Restaurant, which provided a gathering place for the expanding family's numerous birthday, graduation, and holiday celebrations for years to come. Lawrence's gift was his ability to extract joy from the simplest of life's pleasures. He had a lifelong love of nature, and he particularly enjoyed fishing, which suited his quiet demeanor. Ping-Pong was another favorite pastime, and he and Judy especially enjoyed cruising with friends and occasional outings to local casinos. However, nothing brought Lawrence more happiness than his family. His legacy will be the pride in Chinese culture and the continuation of traditions that he has instilled in each generation. Survivors include his wife, Judy; his daughter Doris Lew, and her husband, Chuck; his son, Edward; his daughter Carol Harris, and her husband, Steve; his sister, Edna Gordon, and her husband, Tom; his brother, Robert, and his wife, Carolyn; his grandchildren, Ryan, Kevin, Brian, and Sarah; and many beloved nieces and nephews.The visitation will be held on Friday, August 21st, at Green Hills Mortuary, 27501 Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes, from 5-8 pm., and the funeral service will be held at the same location on Saturday, August 22nd, at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to: Cedars- Sinai Medical Center DSL/Thomas D. Gordon, Chair in Heart Transplantation, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.


Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275