Aug 2, 1923 - Aug 7, 2014

Lee was born in Columbus, Ohio and received her B.A. from University of North Carolina. After marriage to Roy Sturtevant (deceased) she obtained a school librarianship credential from San Jose State University.

A Democratic activist since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, she worked for twelve years as a school librarian and teacher for the Cupertino School District where she was a leader in the California Teachers Association. She later served as a member of the San Jose Unified School Board. Lee managed the first campaign for Assembly member Leona Egeland, who became only the second woman to serve in the California State Assembly in the current era.

Since that time Lee has worked for many elected officials including Senator Dan McCorquodale, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, Assemblymember Manny Diaz, Assemblymember Jim Beall, Congressman Mike Honda and most recently for Supervisor Ken Yeager. She also served on the Board of Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN), and in 2013 was presented by DAWN with the Jenkins/Moore Founders Award. After retirement she joined the Board of the San Andreas Regional Center, which serves the developmentally disabled of four counties, and the Advisory Committee of Parents Helping Parents. In May of this year Lee received (jointly with Peter Szego) the Santa Clara County Democratic Party Don Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award.

She is lovingly remembered by her longtime companion Peter Szego, by her four children, Sue Hines and Karen Ramey of Tacoma, WA, Kit Sturtevant-Stuart of Berkeley, CA and Steven Sturtevant of Portland, OR, as well as by grandchildren Shannon and Mark Hines, Heather and Daniel Ramey, Joseph and Peter Sturtevant-Stuart, and Nick Sturtevant, and by five great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Lee at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Hall, 2125 Canoas Garden Avenue, San Jose. In lieu of flowers the family suggests making a donation to Democratic Activists for Women Now at www.DonateToDAWN.com, or to Second Harvest Food Bank at http://www.shfb.org/donate.