LEE, Ethel Violet, (Vi), Vi Lee was born November 12, 1924 in Briston, Norfolk, England to Eleanor and Robert Cushion, and died April 10, 2010 in Penticton, where she spent the last few years of her life. She was predeceased by her husband Glyn, and survived by her sons Brian (Wendy), Glyn (Dale) and daughter Barbara (Dan), along with seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In England she is survived by her sisters, Edie and Kathleen, and her brother Bob. Vi was born in a poor rural part of England, into a family of ten, and with her father suffering from physical ailments incurred in the First World War trenches, she had a very hard upbringing. Despite being a good scholar, she left school at the age of twelve to work in the grand house belonging to Lord and Lady Hastings. In 1942, at the age of eighteen she joined the RAF as a cook. There were already two others in her crew named Ethel, so she went by her second name, Vi, and used it the rest of her life. It was here that she met her husband Glyn, a sergeant in the RAF ground crew, and they married in 1946. In 1948 they decided, along with five of Glyn's brothers and their wives and one sister and family, to emigrate to Australia. Since there was no boat available at the time for that destination they decided to go to Canada instead. They all settled in Vancouver, but eventually, with the exception of Vi and Glyn, and one of Glyn's brothers, who married Vi's sister, all returned to England. Three children were raised in a very happy environment, provided always with what they needed, and often enough with what they wanted. Vi worked very hard, and at one point was the cook each summer for six years at Keats Island Baptist Camp during the 1960's. Legions of campers lauded Vi's simple but excellent camp food. She made more than a dozen trips back to England over the years and maintained close ties with family, as well as travelling to many other sites in Europe and North America. She spent many years living at White Rock Baptist Village, where she lived by her motto, "I can choose to be happy, or choose to be unhappy. I choose to be happy".
Victory Memorial Park Funeral
Centre 604-536-6522 Condolences may be offered at www.victoryfuneralcentre.ca