Mary Price “Missy” Lee, 79, the author of 21 career and coping books for preteen and young adult readers and a columnist for the Chestnut Hill Local, died April 27 at her home in Flourtown.
Mrs. Lee's writing career, which spanned more than 40 years, included books encompassing such fields as the restaurant industry, research and development, name origins, firefighting, women in politics, veterinary medicine and crime fighting.
She also wrote columns for the Local. She was the first “Chestnut Hill Shopper” and, more recently, co-authored the “Facts of Life” columns with her husband, Richard S. Lee, with whom she collaborated on her last 18 books.
Lee described his wife as “consummately professional.”
“She did her own research by hand for each of the 21 young adult career and coping books, even after computers arrived,” he said.
Mrs. Lee was born in Fort Washington, the daughter of the late Elise Mirkil Price and Llewellyn R. Price. She attended Springside School and received a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
She was a member of St. Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, the Children's’ Reading Roundtable and Phi Beta Kappa.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Lee is survived by a son, Richard M. Lee; daughters Barbara L. Stechert and Monika S. Lee, and a granddaughter. A brother, Robert Price, preceded her in death.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at St. Thomas’ Church, Camp Hill Road and Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Interment was private.
Memorial donations may be made to Kids of Kadiogne, Box 18983, Philadelphia, PA 19119, or St. Thomas’ Church Memorial Fund at the above address. – WF
