Sangwol (Rhee) Lee

Sangwol (Rhee) Lee, 81, of Waco, entered into the presence of Jesus on Sunday, August 22, 2021. A celebration of life service will be 2 pm on Sunday, August 29 with a time of visitation following at Grace Gardens Funeral Home with Dr. Grant Kaul officiating.

Sangwol Lee was born on May 5, 1940 and lived an extraordinary life. She was born in exile, the second of three daughters, to Korean nobles in Manchuria (China), where they survived in hiding until the Japanese occupation finally came to an end. She returned to her homeland in the Southeast corner of Korea, still no more than a small child, only to be caught up almost immediately in the Korean War.

As a student, she enrolled in the School of Social Work in Ewha Women’s University. She worked as a social worker and found her talent in community organization. She founded and managed the Ewha Cultural Center, the first student center in the university. She was appointed as a Lecturer in Social Work in her university.

She came to the United States as a graduate student to study social work at Michigan State University. It was there, in East Lansing, Michigan, that she met Kwang Yun, who was working towards his doctorate in Electrical Engineering. They married in 1970 and had two sons, Edward Seunghoon and Daniel Seungchurl.

She cared deeply for her family and her six grandchildren. She had a contagious love for Jesus Christ and a heart to serve Him with joy as a member of Fellowship Bible Church and the Korean community of believers.

She had a zeal for sharing the Gospel for over the past half century. Her talent in hospitality and discipleship impacted many students and international visiting scholars over the years at Penn State and Baylor.  Sangwol was a light and lamp wherever she went.

She is survived by her husband Kwang Lee, their two sons and their families, Edward, Barbara and their children, Jonathan and Owen, Daniel, Annika, and children, Franziska, Esme, Jesse, and Teddy.

In Lieu of flowers, consider a memorial contribution in her name to Baylor’s ECE Endowed Scholarship at https://www.Baylor.edu/giving/memorialfunds