FLORA LEE OBITUARY

Flora M. Lee

Sioux City

Flora M. Lee, 69, of Sioux City passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, at the Orpheum Theater with Rev. Dr. Albert Mosley officiating. Visitation with the family will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, with a Prayer Service officiated by Deacon Andrew Pearson at 7 p.m. at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. A private burial will be held at Logan Park Cemetery. Online condolences may be given at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Flora was born Dec. 21, 1953, in Sioux City. She was the daughter of Eally McNeil and Tony Mae Moore. Flora grew up in the South Bottoms neighborhood of Sioux City and went to Hobson Elementary School. She was a member of the last graduating class of Sioux City's Central High (class of 1972) and received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb.

On Aug. 29, 1975, she married Rudy V. Lee Jr. The couple enjoyed 41 years of marriage until Rudy's death on April 25, 2017, at the age of 67. Flora and Rudy had two daughters, Treyla and Marissa, and two sons, Trenton and Terron.

Flora spent time as a licensed practical nurse at the former St. Joseph Hospital. She worked for St. Luke's Gordon Recovery Center for more than 15 years as a residential supervisor therapist. In addition to working full time, Flora earned a master's degree in counseling from Wayne State College.

Flora, a lifelong Siouxland community activist became the first Black woman elected in Woodbury County, in September 1991 to serve on the Sioux City Community School Board, a position she would hold for 12 years. Amongst her many accomplishments, Flora headed the local chapter of the NAACP for more than a decade, spent 20 years with Northwest Area Education Agency (AEA) as an educational consultant and special education strategist, and worked with both the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and the Sioux City Human Rights Commission.

In addition to those roles, Flora, most recently served on boards for organizations such as UnityPoint - St. Luke's and was the current Executive Director for Women Aware. Before being elected to the Sioux City Community School board, she was involved with the PTA and served as a "reading mother." In March 1999, Flora was recognized at the 15th annual Women of Excellence Banquet in the category of "Women Striving to Improve the Quality of Life" for working with young women at AEA on such issues as HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, and violence prevention.

Flora was an avid dancer. She enjoyed traveling, photography, and her walking and coffee dates with friends.

She is survived by her children Treyla Lee of Sioux City, Marissa Lee of Arlington, Va., and Trenton Lee of Dallas, Texas.

Flora was preceded in death by her parents; husband Rudy; son Terron Lee; and brothers Milton Crawford and Alfred Ellington.

In Lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials may be given to the Warming Shelter, KWITT Radio, or First Tee Siouxland.

Published by Sioux City Journal on Apr. 30, 2023.

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Very sorry to have to report this but we lost a community leader today and friend......very unexpectedly.  Flora (lee) McNeal passed away VERY unexpectedly.  Don't have much detail at this time but her passing was reportedly caused by an aneurism.

More to come as it is announced.

RIP Flora 

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This was in todays Sioux City Journal:  

Hopefully I can get this to you all properly formatted.  It's a little tricky to do with this program.  
To hear what they have to say about Flora, go to the Journal's web site for today, April 28th, & click on the audio track about her.  
Rc

SIOUX CITY — Sioux City lost a historic figure Thursday with the death of Flora M. Lee at the age of 68. 

Lee, a lifelong Siouxland community activist and the first Black woman elected in Woodbury County, served on the Sioux City Community School Board for 12 years, headed the local chapter of the NAACP for more than a decade, spent 20 years with Northwest AEA as an educational consultant and special education strategist, and worked with the Sioux City Human Rights Commission.

In addition to those roles, Lee, whose husband, Rudy Lee Jr., made history as the first Black Sioux City firefighter, more recently served on boards for organizations such as UnityPoint - St. Luke's and Women 
 

A member of the last class of Sioux City's Central High (class of 1972), Lee had the chance in 2018 to recognize the first Black teacher ever to be hired by the Sioux City School District, Evelyn (Walker) Freeman, with a Celebrating Community Project sculpture at the Martin Luther King Jr. Transportation Center. The project began in 2015. 

For the 2016 inductions, Lee said of the nominees "So often we always tell our children look for a mentor, look for a hero, and we look nationally, or on a world-wide level," she said. "We forget that we have local heroes and she-roes right here in our local community."

Similar praise poured out for Lee after news broke about her death.

Sioux City NAACP posted on its Facebook page: "It is with tremendous sadness that I announce the passing of past president and longtime member Flora Lee. We will share details as they become available. Please keep Treyla, Marissa, and Trenton in your prayers and thoughts. Flora's legacy lives on!"

PHOTOS: Community activist Flora Lee

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Richard Moore, a pastor at Evangelical Covenant Church in Sloan, Iowa, called Lee a "voice for the voiceless and an advocate for many without representation" and said she volunteered hundreds of hours "to worthy groups and organizations in Siouxland." 

Jeremy Dumkrieger, the former head of the Woodbury County Democratic Party, said he considered Lee a friend who advised him on everything from politics to teaching.

"This was not a unique experience as she was this to many of us; Flora was giving. The last time I saw her she gave me a hug; I am glad that happened. Sioux City won't be the same without her...nor will I," Dumkrieger said.

The Great Plains Action Society's Siouxland Project Director, Trisha Etringer, an Indigenous activist, posted a photo of Lee and a broken heart emoji.

During a 2015 chat with the Journal, Lee talked about growing up and not being able to visit her grandparents in Foley, Alabama because of racial violence in the southern state. When asked how experiences shaped her, she said "I didn’t want to live like that. And I didn’t want my children to have to live like that. So, that’s what pushed me here, and I continue to fight for it today."

Further information and stories about her life and her survivors will continue to be added.