ForeverMissed
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His Life
November 15, 2011

On December 17, 1958, Theodore Scott Lee was born to Ming Chang Lee and Barbara Jean Lee in New York City, New York.  He was the eldest of four brothers - David, his twin, followed by   Steven and Johnny.  In addition, he had two half sisters from China, Ching Di and Ching Yu. 

                Growing up in the city, Ted attended PS165 Elementary School where he met his wife, Lilion in the 3rd grade.  He continued at Booker T. Washington Jr. High and Brooklyn Tech High School.

                Ted’s earliest jobs included being a tailor, a butcher and a doorman.  At 15, he worked in his first produce market on 110th Street and Broadway. 

                In 1975, Ted married Lilion and settled in Manhattan to start a family. They were blessed to have their first 3 children; Robert, Christine, and Brian.  At 19, they moved to Brooklyn where he opened a Laundromat with $4,000 he borrowed from his father.  Ted made a promise to pay him back and he did.  He said, “I walked to work in the snow for 10 blocks, and all I had to keep me warm was a hot potato…and that was my lunch.“

                In 1979 he decided to move to California to give his family a better life.  Determined to care for them, he resumed on his path in  produce and worked at Mrs. Gooch’s market.  Each day, he walked 15 blocks to work reading his Bible.  He saved enough for a bicycle and later for a family car. Eventually, Ted was able to buy his first motorcycle, the fastest, biggest Kawasaki.

                In 1983, he was blessed with his fourth child, Teddy Jr. He continued in the produce industry as a salesman for Green Acres until 1986 where he found an opportunity at Shapiro Gilman    Shandler.

                As a salesman for SGS, Ted worked side-by-side with his brothers David, Johnny and Steven, who was one of his customers. Over the course of 25 years with the company, Ted was successful in his industry by creating, building, and sustaining many great relationships. Many of which became lifelong friendships.

                Ted was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and truly a friend to all.  His life was an example of a servant’s heart and self-sacrifice.  To all, he will be remembered as a diligent worker,   generous with his time, kind in his words, and above all, a man of God.