Joseph Lee Obituary, Death – Joseph “Joe” W. Lee, age 76, passed away on May 25, 2023 at The Commons on St. Anthony in Auburn, New York. Mr. Lee was once from Ithaca. He was the son of James Lee and Clorice (Worles) Lee and was born in the Bronx on May 10th, 1947. His family gave him the moniker “Sonny” when he was the youngest of six children. He attended Newton High School in Queens, New York, after having spent his childhood in Brooklyn, New York.
Following college, he enrolled in the Job Corps and it was in Utah when he met his first wife, Sybil. In 1969, they got married in Brooklyn, and the following year, in 1970, they welcomed a daughter named Shimene August Lee. They divorced after moving to a location in upstate New York, where they lived. After completing his studies at the American Barber School in Rochester and the Robert Fiance Hair Design Institute in New York City, Joseph began a career in the hairstyling industry.
Before he opened his own hair salon in Ithaca, which he named the Next Step in 1991, he worked in a number of salons in the surrounding area. After receiving a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2003, he decided it was time for him to resign from the business. In April of 2005, he went to the University of Pittsburg Medical Center to have a single lung transplant done there.
Joseph was a kind and kind individual, but he decided to conceal those aspects of himself by projecting an image of logical superiority, much like his fictional hero Spock from Star Trek. Those of us who were closest to him were aware of the reality. Joseph’s interests included everything related to science fiction, as well as music, singing, dancing, and playing the Congo drum. Additionally, fishing and time spent in the Adirondacks were two of his favorite activities. Apple pie was his loyal partner of forty years, but above all else, he adored apple pie.
His parents, James and Clorice, as well as his sister Roberta, passed away before Joseph was born. He is survived by his lover and carer, Rodney Beers; his daughter, Shimene Lee; his grandsons Natiel LeeAlexander and Olajuwon LeeAlexander; his foster son, Robert Anthony; his brother, James; his sisters, Barbara, Lorraine, and Fern; and a large number of cherished nieces and nephews.
An announcement regarding a memorial ceremony and cremation for Joseph will be made at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent in his name to the Cardiothoracic Department of UPMC, which is located at 200 Lothrop Street, Suite C900, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213. White Chapel Funeral Home Inc., located at 197 South Street in Auburn, is in charge of the arrangements at this time. Please visit http://www.whitechapelfh.com in order to convey your sincere condolences to the family.