Norma P. Lee

ITHACA - Norma Pike lee 84 of Ithaca,NY, passed away on April 25,2020 at Oak Hill Manor in Ithaca, NY. Her health declined rapidly after falling and fracturing her hip recently.        '

Surviving her are her daughters, Jodi Lee Denman, of Ithaca, and Jennifer Lee, of Palo Alto, CA; grandchildren Emma Denman.of Seattle, WA, Ainslie Denman. of Burlington, VT, Jack and Brooke Breitenstein of Palo Alto, CA; brother Douglas Pike of Auburn NY, and several nieces and nephews, Norma's mother, father, and brother James Pike preceded her in death.

She was born on June 7, 1935 in Plattsburg, NY to parents. John and Marjorie Pike. At the time, her farnlly resided at the Minor Farm, in ChazyNY where her father was employed. The family moved to Potsdam, NY in 1937 where her father began working at the Potsdam State Teachers College. She attended elementary school at the Congdon Campus School and high school at Potsdam Central High school, and graduated in 1953. In high school, her nickname was "Fishy'.While horsing around with her girlfriends her arm was pushed through A glass door, resulting in severe cuts that required several stitches.

Following the death of her father in June 1957, she relocated to Long Island. to begin her teaching career. There she met and married Daniel Lee at the Methodist Church in Potsdam, NY on August 29, 1959. Soon after, they moved to Ithaca, NY where they built a home in the Ellis Hollow neighborhood from salvaged barn materials and decorated with antiques they collected from all over New Engl. nd. Norma was a long time kindergarten teacher at Caroline Elementary School. Remembered as a ded-icated teacher who believed in the value of play and creativity; she was an avid reader who instilled a love of reading and storytelling in her students. Many of her former students, some of whom now have grandchildren at Caroline, remember her fondly.

Norma and the family spent summers on their wooden boat in the Thousand Islands, enjoying the Ellis Hollow pool and socializing at the Ithaca Yacht Club. She is remembered by neighbors as the mother who enjoyed a good romance novel while Sipping gin and tonics on her back porch. She also loved Merlot wine and eating lasagna (which she never could remember how to pronounce) at Ciao's Restaurant with her loyal brother, Doug. Norma also sewed many of her daughters' clothing and enjoyed needlepointing. She was an avid cat owner and fashionista and instilled her love of animals and style in Jodi and Jennifer. Her daughters remember her frequently saying "you girls should get outside and play!"

During her last years she was lovingly tended to by her caretaker Patti Mosher. Norma will be missed.

Per her request there will be no formal memorial service. Her ashes will be scattered in Cayuga Lake.

Memorial contributions may be made to the SPCA of Tompkins County.

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