Our History
Honored with over 100 years of serving in excellence, integrity, and professionalism, the now Lee’s Funeral Home, LLC was established in 1915, White Plains, NY by Theodore Jay Lee, Sr. He actually began his funeral service career before 1915, in partnership with other gentlemen, in a post-slavery, Jim Crow era, out of need in addition to desire, serving an otherwise unserved community, as many area firms would not even serve families of color until well after the 1970’s. Also a pre-regulation era, funeral service soon became regulated, and he was the only one of his partners to graduate mortuary school, one of two African-Americans in his class, and the only partner qualified to own a business. He met and married Mattie R. Lee, who went on to help him in this, and other business dealings, as they were truly “undertakers”, literally under-taking other tasks such as notary, real estate, bail-bondsmen, etc., again for an unserved community. They had one child, Theodore Jay Lee, Jr. A WPHS graduate, after attending NYU and serving in the Army, he graduated mortuary school, cm laude, and began the 2nd generation working in the business. He married JoAnne F. Lee, who was a registered nurse. But she too then graduated cm laude from mortuary school and joined him in the business. They had two children, Jennifer & T.J. Lee, III. Both WPHS graduates, T.J. attended Boston University and Westchester Community College, now working in the business as facilities manager. Jennifer graduated the University of Virginia with 2 BA’s, then summa cm laude from mortuary school, and is funeral director and manager as 3rd generation in the business. Both Mr. Lee, Jr. and daughter Jennifer have served on the NYS Funeral Directing Advisory Board. All are members of, and/or past officers or board members of various business and community organizations, as well as Bethel Baptist Church, always giving back. All our staff carry the highest credentials and commitment to service as well.
We have earned the honor of being a boutique firm with the level of service and attention to detail we give, and thus serve the personalized care needs our clientele seeks best by appointment. We have a proven track record, even if misunderstood, mischaracterized or maliciously maligned by a few haters. Though as the saying goes, if you don’t have haters, you must not be doing things right and enviable, but as the Bible says, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Over this century, Lee’s has served all communities and faiths, with dignity, respect, professionalism, the highest quality, honesty and integrity, & earned many honors and awards, and will continue to serve and educate as long as is God’s plan.
