Lee Vlaming, 73, of Whitefish Bay in the Town of Sevastopol, passed away Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at the Door County Medical Center Skilled Nursing Facility in Sturgeon Bay with family at her side. She was born Myrna Lee DeVries on August 10, 1944 on the south side of Chicago, IL, the daughter of Richard G. and Martha (Laughlin) DeVries. Lee graduated from Carl Schurz High School on the northwest side of Chicago in 1962.
She began working for Northern Industrial Supply in Chicago, the company her father owned, and remained there until 1988. There, she met Raymond Joseph Vlaming, Jr They were united in marriage on September 6, 1974 in Hanover Park, IL.
Lee worked as a credit analyst for Bohler Steel in Itasca, IL from 1988 until 2001 and then for Feralloy until her retirement in 2006. She and Ray moved to Wisconsin and made their home in Whitefish Bay in Door County where her father had property. Together, they attended Bay View Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay.
Lee pursued her passion for art (pastel and watercolors) again between 1999 and 2000 and was a member of the Peninsula Art School Fish Creek and volunteered for 10 years and sat at the desk of the Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay. She was a member of The Clearing in Ellison Bay and enjoyed taking classes with the Learning in Retirement through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Sturgeon Bay. Lee was actively in involved with the hospital in Sturgeon Bay, having been a member of the Door County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary for over seven years and also volunteered in Op-Su (outpatient surgery), the gift shop, and served as an ambassador.
Her love will live on in the hearts of her husband, Ray; her daughter and son, Kelly Jo (Joe) Rusciano of Crystal Lake, IL and Michael (Susan) Zmich of Tiverton, RI; Ray’s two sons, Peter (Mary) Vlaming of Lake of the Hills, IL and Paul (Laura) of Charlotte, NC; nine grandchildren, Robbie and Maggie Rusciano, Kate and Jackson Zmich, Anthony, Angela, and Austin Vlaming, and Amanda (Jay) Hager and Marissa Vlaming; three great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Jacob, and Lauren Hager; sister, Muriel Ford of Arlington Heights, IL; other relatives; friends; and her “shorkie” puppies, Jesse and Lily. Lee was preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Robert (Delores) Thorpe. In accordance with her wishes, no public services will be held.
Memorials may be given in Lee’s honor for Unity Hospice or the Door County Cancer Center (of Door County Medical Center). Huehns Funeral Home, Inc. & Door County Crematory LLC are assisting the family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Lee may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.
huehnsfuneralhome.com. Donations may be made to: Unity (Hospice and Palliative Care) 2366 Oak Ridge Circle, De Pere WI 54115 Tel: 1-800-990-9249 Web: www.
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