Obituary of Glenda Lee

Glenda Lee Glenda passed away peacefully on March 3, 2012 in Olympia, Washington after a long battle with breast cancer. Glenda was born in Lewistown, Montana on August 11, 1952. She was the middle of three children. She attended Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana through her junior year. She moved to Kalispell, Montana and graduated from Flathead High School in 1970. She got her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Montana in 1976. She met her husband Rick in Spokane, Washington. They were married in Reno Nevada in 1986. Glenda later attended St. Martin’s University where she received her master’s degree in counseling psychology in 1994. Her entire career was with the State of Washington. She started as an interviewer at Employment Security in Spokane in 1978. She took a job at the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) as a social worker in 1980. In 1986, she moved to Olympia to take a job as a claims manager at Labor and Industries. She returned to the DSHS in 1988 where she worked as a social worker in Seattle, Tacoma and Elma. She took a promotion as a program manager at the DSHS Economic Services Administration in 1995. In 2002, she took a job as a program specialist at the DSHS Division of Developmental Disabilities. She retired in 2011 after 31 years with the State of Washington. Glenda was an avid reader. She loved to sew and quilt. She enjoyed cooking for family and friends. Another one of Glenda’s favorite activities was exercise. She would ride her bike to work all year long. She loved going to Jazzercise and the gym. Her greatest love was to travel. In her final years, she traveled to numerous places in Europe, Asia and the United States. She was really looking forward to her trip to South America this year. Glenda is survived by her husband, Rick Lee; son, Ben Lee; mother, Henrietta Irish; sisters, Kathy Hegge and Debi Irish; mother-in-law, Sue Lee; brother-in-law, Wally Lee and sister-in-law Mamie Lee; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, John Irish. Glenda was a caring, loving and giving wife, mother and friend. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her. Please leave memories of Glenda or condolences for the family in the Guestbook below.