Johanne M. Lee

Delmar - Johanne Lee passed away November 20, 2025. She was born June 29, 1940, to Theodore and Eileen Johnson in Cooperstown and grew up in nearby Milford New York on her family’s dairy farm. She came to Albany in 1958 to attend Albany Business School. She was working for the Department of Corrections when she met her future husband, Jake (Jacob) Lee. When she told her roommate, and lifelong friend from Milford, that this guy she was dating was a single dad with 4 children, her friend said that she was nuts. They were married in December of 1961 and remained happily married until her husband Jakes passing in February of 2004. She had a varied and successful work life in the Albany area and then in Maryland culminating with her managing the office of the Maryland Municipal League in Annapolis Maryland for almost 20 years. Johanne was a loving mother, stepmother, grandmother and great grandmother. Known to all as “Nana” she had a special way of making you feel that you were the only other person in the world when she spent time with you.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jacob R. Lee, her brothers Martin and Allen Johnson, and her parents. Johanne is survived by her 6 children: Debbie (Gene) Willis, Jacob (Kathy) R. Lee Jr., Jeffrey (Cheryl) Lee, Peter (Cyndy) Lee, Scott (Teresa) Lee, and Eileen (Dennis) Dorosz, 18 Grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.