People & Stories Oral History Project: Teddy Lee, Jr.

Theodore Jay Lee, Jr., better known as Teddy, is the owner of Lee's Funeral Home and a lifelong resident of White Plains. His father, Theodore Jay Lee, Sr., migrated north from Virginia, became a licensed undertaker, and began working in Westchester County. In the late 1920s, Lee Sr. moved to White Plains and opened a funeral home at 57 Brookfield Street. Lee remembers the pride and integrity with which his father operated the business, helping people with personal problems or their taxes in addition to funeral arrangements.

Lee vividly recalls life for children in downtown White Plains during the 1930s and 1940s, from the shops and restaurants to the way children used empty lots and wooded areas as playgrounds. Lee's Funeral Home is celebrating 100 years of existence in 2015, and Lee's passion for the work comes through clearly. He describes what it is like to be in a business most people usually do not think about. Lee is a well-known and active part of the White Plains scene, and this oral history gives listeners a glimpse of his rich experiences in the city.

Categories: Local History and Oral History.