LEE

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at 05:57:28 :

San Francisco Chronicle
Monday, March 18, 2002
B5

Robert Lee -- author and religious scholar
by Sabin Russell, Chronicle Staff Writer

The Rev. Robert Lee, a religious scholar, author and ethicist, died Thursday in San Rafael after a long illness. He was 72.

A retired professor of social ethics at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, Dr. Lee also had been director of the school's Institute of Ethics and Society.

He was the author of 16 books on ethics and a variety of theological topics.

His most well-known work was "The Spouse Gap," published in 1969, which examined marriage crises in midlife -- a time he termed Middle-essence.

Dr. Lee also served as vice president of Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage and was a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii.

In 1980, he wrote "China Journal," an account of his family's visit to rediscover its roots in China, shortly after that nation reopened to travelers from the United States.

He was a fourth-generation Chinese American. His family was the first Chinese American family to move to Burlingame. While in high school, he was elected student body president.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, May Lee, of San Rafael; daughters Mellanie Lee of Micronesia, Wendy Lee of Fairfax and Miko Lee of Berkeley; sons Marcus Lee of San Rafael and Matthew Lee of Boston; and eight grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned for 4 p.m. on March 25 at the First Presbyterian Church in San Anselmo. Donations may be made to the Asian Scholarship Fund for the Dr. Robert and May Lee Scholarship, c/o the Marin Community Foundation, 17 East Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Suite 200, Larkspur CA 94939.