Members of the House of Representatives learned today that former State Representative Samuel S. H. Lee passed away in the early morning hours of Friday, February 10, 2012. He was 81 years old.
Samuel S. H. Lee
Samuel Lee was the husband of Representative Marilyn B. Lee who currently serves District 38 – Mililani and Mililani Mauka. In his honor and to pay respect to their colleague, the House stood in a moment of silence on the House chamber floor.
Marilyn and Samuel Lee
“On behalf of the House of Representatives, I want to express our deepest sympathy to Rep. Marilyn Lee and her family on the passing of her husband and our former colleague, Sam Lee,” said Speaker of the House Calvin K.Y. Say. “Hawaii has lost a true public servant and community leader. Sam’s experience as a diplomat took him around the world, but he returned to Hawaii to give back to our community. It is with gratitude that we remember Rep. Sam Lee and his many contributions to our state.”
Samuel Sang Hoy Lee (May 16, 1930 – February 10, 2012) was a U.S. diplomat, community organizer, and lawmaker. He served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1986 to 1996.
Lee entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1955 and served for 26 years. He and his family returned to Hawaii in 1981 and settled in Mililani. During a period from 1983 – 1985, pesticide contamination was found in Mililani’s drinking water. Lee became a community activist and led a successful grassroots campaign which compelled developers and government officials to remedy the situation. From there, Lee successfully ran for the House and served for five terms.
Sam Lee is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Representative Marilyn B. Lee, his four children, and six grandchildren.
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