Diana Y. Lee

Diana Ying Lee (馬瑛), age 91 of Sewickley passed away suddenly on Sunday, April 16, 2023. She was born on June 17, 1931 and was the beloved wife of Chung Chieh Lee (李仲傑).

Born in Kunming, Yunnan, China, Diana enjoyed a tomboy childhood -- climbing trees and playing mumblety-peg -- before a family immigration to Tokyo, Japan in the aftermath of World War II. She studied Fine Arts and obtained her bachelor's degree at the prestigious University of Tokyo when the program was limited to 24 students per year.

Following her university studies, she moved to Manhattan and won a job at Gracie Studio, a specialist in fine, hand painted wall coverings. Diana restored and expanded antique screen paintings in both the Chinese and Japanese style. She expressed deep gratitude to James Gracie for sponsoring her employment visa, enabling US citizenship.

In 1964, Diana met her future husband; they married in 1966. Bookending a move to Pittsburgh with the births of two children, she became a homemaker extraordinaire. She channeled her creativity and high standards into cooking, baking, crafting, and sewing. Her wartime upbringing spurred a lifelong passion for recycling and practicality.

Later in life, she was able to enjoy travel throughout Europe and Asia, with particular favorites being Prague and Vienna. In addition, she enjoyed opera as a longtime season ticket holder. We will deeply miss her fantastic cooking, wry sense of humor, and calm demeanor. She possessed a refined sense of taste which seems modern even today.

In addition to her husband, she leaves behind a lifetime of fond memories to two loving children, Cynthia (Edward Harris) Lee and Chester (Sally Olsen) Lee; one grandson, Jerrod Harris; brother Raymond (Linda) Ma (馬元); cousin/sister Margaret Wue (馬瑶); and many family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents Ma Jinsan (馬晋三) and Chang Hsingruo (張韾若), and her older brother Ma Tian (馬 天).

In lieu of a funeral or memorial service, the family requests those who knew her to cook for loved ones, enjoy a fine meal or complete a jigsaw puzzle in her honor.

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