Family of Lesley Lee pay tribute to “kind, gentle and lovely lady”

The family of a woman who died following a road traffic collision in Northampton have written a moving tribute to her.

Lesley Lee, aged 77, sadly died following a collision in Rushmere Road on Monday, September 23.

Now, her daughters Sarah and Nicola, and Lesley’s partner Steve, have written a heartfelt tribute to her in a statement issued via Northamptonshire Police:

“Lesley was born in 1947 and lived in Roade all her life. She went to the primary and secondary school in the village and was very close to her parents Maisie and Sidney, her Aunt Eileen and Uncle Bernard, and from a very young age, always took it upon herself to help people, especially the elderly members of her family.

“She was a hardworking woman, studying at Secretarial College when she was younger and then using the skills she’d learnt there throughout her working life, including at the local council and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

“In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she welcomed her two daughters – Sarah and Nicola – into the world. And she was a wonderful mum.

“She was nurturing, a lovely person to be around, and always made sure her two girls knew, unequivocally, how much she loved them both.

“Although Lesley was a naturally shy woman, Nicola fondly remembers a May Day event when she was a young girl at school in which her mum joined the other mums in a dancing session, and how fun it was.

“Whilst Sarah recalls a lovely lunch the family had at a restaurant in Stoke Bruerne recently and how much her mum enjoyed it, as well as a family walk around Delapre lake with Lesley’s three grandchildren, Sean, Riley and Oscar, and her furry grandchildren - dogs Dahlie and Stan.

“As a grandmother, Lesley was brilliant. She always wanted to help in any way she could including picking the children up after school and she was always very generous on birthdays and at Christmas, and always gave them some money to buy themselves a treat on their holidays.

“Lesley first met her partner Steve in the 1990s and they became friends. They lost touch over the years, but in the late 2000s, she wrote him a letter to let him know she was thinking of him. He rang her as soon as he received it, and they met up at the café in Salcey Forest - and here began their wonderful relationship. She turned his life around and they enjoyed many happy years together, sharing a love of books and spending hours reading in each other’s company. They enjoyed their daily afternoon strolls, many a crossword and puzzle, and many seaside holidays together.

“Steve recalls fond memories of pulling over every time they saw lambs in the fields on their countryside drives, as he knew Lesley loved to look at the ‘boingers’ as they used to refer to them.

“Lesley was such a family-orientated person and the only thing that came close to her love for them was her passion for reading.

“She discovered books as a young child and loved the escapism they provided. Through the books that she read, from Jane Austen to Richard Osman, Lesley would go on a thousand adventures as she turned the pages.

“She used to use the community book boxes to pick up some of her books, ensuring she always made a swap with a book she’d already read. 

“Lesley was a kind, gentle and lovely lady. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and always saw the best in people. She didn’t have the easiest of lives but she was always positive and a joy to be around.

“She was healthy and looked so good for her age, we thought she’d live to 100. To lose her in this way is devastating and it feels like we have lost a part of ourselves that no one can replace.

“She was such an exceptional lady - so loved, so deserving of good things, and she will be missed beyond words.”

“Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.” – C.S. Lewis

Lesley’s family are in the process of organising her funeral which will be held at St Mary’s Church in Roade, Northamptonshire. If you knew Lesley and would like to attend the funeral but have no direct contact with her family, please email [email protected] and we will pass your details onto Sarah and Nicola.