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Lee set an outstanding example in women's
curling, playing on four Canadian championship teams, and gave back to
curling and other sports as a physical education teacher and coach at
the University of Saskatchewan from 1962 until 1999.
Lee was born in Regina in 1938 and spent
much of her early school life in Semans. As a student at Semans high school, she
represented the Central unit at the Saskatchewan high school track and
field championships in Saskatoon.
She received her bachelor of physical and
health education at the University of Toronto where, among her
accomplishments, was as a front-line centre on the university's women's
hockey team. After adding degrees at the University of
Saskatchewan and University of Oregon, Lee joined the physical education
staff at Saskatchewan and an early success in 1965 was as coach of the
Dorenda Stirton team. By 1969, Stirton skipped the Saskatchewan rink to
an unprecedented fifth straight Western Canada Intercollegiate curling
championship.
On the ice herself, Lee was building some
streaks of her own, starting with a Canadian women's championship in
1969 while on a team with Joyce McKee, Vera Pezer and Sheila Rowan. There was a change in positions on the team
and soon Lee, Joyce and Sheila were helping Vera, who had moved to
skip, for a record run at the Canadian women's title which produced
victories in three successive years, 1971, 1972 and 1973, including one
on Saskatoon ice.
The team has been voted into the Saskatoon
Sports Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and the
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.
Lee, who holds a Level III certificate from
the Canadian Coaching Association, was coach of the Sherry Middaugh rink
when it represented Saskatchewan in the Scott Tournament of Hearts in
1997. Lee remained competitive throughout the
years and in 1995, was on a Saskatchewan championship team with Sheila
Rowan, Jean McLean and Carol Jorgenson at the Canadian senior women's
playoffs.
Lee, Peggy Hergott, Sylvie Francour and
Lorna Hrapchuk were members of a team at the Canadian Masters
championships in 2003, the third time in four years that Lee skipped the
Saskatchewan champions.
Over the years, Lee also had a hand in some
international bonspiels, playing in Sweden in 1979, in Switzerland in
1991, and in Scotland in 2000.
After playing her first softball in Regina,
Lee joined the Saskatoon Imperials, played shortstop from 1962 to 1968,
where they won at a provincial level.
Among her continuing commitments as a
builder, she is active with the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and
Museum as a director and is on the committee of the Ronald McDonald
Charity Golf Classic. |