WILLIAMSBURG — Ann Elizabeth Johnson Lee passed away Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
On March 2, 1935, the stork flew into Williamsburg, Virginia and delivered a sweet little bundle of joy to the proud parents, Sallie and Ivan Johnson. The bundle of joy was a sweet little baby girl. It was said, “she came in the world waving her little hand, like the queen,” so they decided to name her Ann Elizabeth Johnson. She continued to do the queen wave until her illness took its toll.
After attending Bruton Heights School, Williamsburg, she later married her first love, Joseph Lee. To this union, two daughters were born. Unfortunately, their firstborn daughter only lived a short period of time after birth. However, they continued to maintain love in their hearts for her. Later, they were blessed with their last daughter, Sally Blondell Lee, and she was just as cute as a little button.
Ann was employed by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where she retired after many years of service. Upon retirement, she enjoyed caring for children, traveling, and yard work. However, her passion was working in the church, and she would lend a hand wherever needed.
She sang in the choir for many years. After being a trustee along with the late Deacon Ananais Johnson, they were instrumental in purchasing a new piano and obtaining a new pianist to tickle the ivories on the new piano. This is when you say praise be to the glory and let the church and choir sing amen.
One of her most memorable projects involved working with the Fort Eustis Transportation Center (FTETC), Yorktown, which sponsored a program to assist local churches in cleaning and sprucing up their properties. Their only stipulation was to provide a copy of the church’s deed to determine bounties. To Ann, this sounded like a winner, and she was eager about the prospect of obtaining help to clean the church property.
The easy part was obtaining the deed from the courthouse. The hard unsettling and unforgettable part was the discovery of the deed. It appeared that a private group of investors named Greenmount Corporation had their deed showing half of the Morning Star Baptist Church property belonged to them.
Oops! The Greenmount Corporation put their foot in the wrong nest. Time was of the essence, unfortunately, due to time restraint, the church was unable to utilize the services provided by the FTETC. Small in number but big in heart, the cleaning project fell back on the members.
Ann was also instrumental in ordering and spreading crush and run rock gravel for a piece of property that is now the church parking lot. Cleaning the church cemetery became an annual thing for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. She obtained kitchen cabinets for the lunchroom.
In March 2013, Ann decided to leave Williamsburg on an extended vacation to visit her daughter in Alexandria. In August 2015, Ann became ill, however, she often reminded me there was nothing wrong with her mouth and mind, and still had her queen wave, her good appetite and sense of humor, which remained intact.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and an older sister, Audrey Mae Johnson Thomas. Ann leaves to cherished precious memories with her loving daughter, Sally Blondell Lee of Alexandria; niece, Sencerray V. Thomas, and nephew, Jesse Ivan Thomas, both of Baltimore, Maryland; goddaughters, Angela Holloway of Columbia, South Carolina, and Alysha Bland of Lackey; and a host of other loving relatives and caring friends.
Mrs. Lee may be viewed from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday, May 14, at Whiting’s Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at noon, Saturday, May 15, at the funeral home. Due to the current health pandemic, only 50 people may be in attendance with facial coverings and social distancing requirements. Livestreaming will be available at the beginning of the service. Interment will follow in Morning Star Baptist Church Cemetery.
Share online condolences with the family at Whiting’s Funeral Home.
