Generous spirit lives on through donations
For the past 25 years Doris Lee has made a donation to the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund in honour of the memory of her husband.
Bill Lee died suddenly in 1979 from an asthma attack, leaving Doris a widow and her three children without a father. They had been gloriously happy, she said. In fact, so much so it took Doris close to 25 years to find another husband. That special someone has now died as well, she said. But back in 1979, Lee woke in fright as Brampton police knocked on her door to tell her what had happened. “ I had no idea why they were there,” she said. “ It was probably the worst day of my life and my children’s. We just went crazy. I had just talked to him, and he was fine.” Even today Lee, 70, can’t believe how her husband died — alone and out of town on business. On the night he died, she had spoken to him at suppertime. They had been chatting on the phone like they always did when he was away on business. That night’s conversation was about their plans to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, which was coming up the following year. Lee still remembers that phone call vividly.
For a year she struggled to come to grips with his death. Left alone, she went back to work to support her teenage children. “ I didn’t even know how the new typewriters worked at the time,” she said laughing. But she persevered and got on with her life. “ I was very upset, but I was surrounded by lots of family and good friends who wouldn’t let me hide away.” Ayear after Bill’s death Lee decided to do something to honour his memory. “ When he was young his father died very young,” his widow said. “ He always felt he was very lucky to have aunts and uncles around him to provide him with the extras he needed. His mom was working at Eaton’s. They gave him skis and skates. He always gave to the Toronto Star
Santa Fund at Christmas.
“ He’d always said to me, ‘ If I go before you, make sure you never put a notice in the paper on the anniversary of my death; never go to my gravesite and bring flowers.’ He said: ‘ Donate that money to charity.’ And so that’s what Doris, who now lives in Burlington, did. That first year after his death she made a donation to the Santa Claus Fund and she has been doing that ever since. “ He was a great guy,” she said about her husband. “ And the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund was his favourite charity, so I made sure I did what he asked.” The Star Santa Claus Fund is celebrating its 100th year. It needs to raise $ 1.35 million to provide gifts for 45,000 children across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ajax and Pickering. If you have a story to share about the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund, please email dblack@thestar.ca or call 416-869-4850.