Susanne Marie Lee

Susanne Marie Lee, of Rockville, MD, passed away peacefully at home on April 5, 2025, surrounded by her loving family after a brief battle with bladder cancer. Born on August 14, 1945, Susanne was raised in Eagles Mere, PA. The natural beauty of her childhood home fostered her deep, lifelong love of the outdoors and the natural world.

Susanne graduated from Sullivan Highlands High School in Sonestown, Pennsylvania, in 1963. A dedicated alumna, she remained actively involved in organizing class reunions and staying connected with her former classmates. Susanne was honored as the 1963 Laurel Festival Queen in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Susanne had an innate curiosity about the world, a trait that defined her personal and professional journey. As a junior at Dickinson College in 1965, Susanne participated in the college’s pioneering study abroad program in Bologna, Italy while earning her degree in Political Science. Susanne subsequently received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Milan, Italy, and earned a master’s degree in international relations from University of Pittsburgh and law degree from George Washington University.

Susanne began her career in public service in 1972 at the Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, DC, where she helped implement the country’s first family planning and anti-poverty programs. Her dedication to public service spanned nearly four decades of work with the federal government at both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency. Susanne served as Associate Deputy General Counsel at EPA, where she combined her legal acumen and love for the environment to provide counsel for a myriad of programs that improved human health and the environment.

Susanne retired from the federal government in 2008 and moved to Palau to work as an attorney with the island's Environmental Quality Protection Board. Living for two years on the remote Micronesian island ignited her love of the ocean, coral reefs, and snorkeling.

In retirement, Susanne remained deeply committed to her community and environmental causes, continuing her work with the West Montgomery County Citizen’s Association, where she had been an active member for more than 20 years, including several terms as President. Susanne worked tirelessly to ensure the area’s green spaces were protected, its streams remained clean, and new development had minimal environmental impact. In recognition of her decades of efforts for the community, Susanne was named Potomac Citizen of the Year in 2018.

Susanne had an insatiable curiosity about other cultures, history, and the natural world and travelled extensively over the last 15 years, including visiting nine countries in 2024 – always with a guide book (or 3!) – in tow. Her most frequent and favorite destinations were the far reaches of the Indonesian archipelago, where liveaboard boat snorkeling adventures took her to the world’s most biodiverse coral reefs.

Above all, Susanne was known for her warmth, generosity, and selflessness. Her kindness knew no bounds, and she was beloved by her family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

Susanne was preceded in death by her parents, Marjorie C. and Kenneth B. Lee. She is survived by her children, Graham Archer (Madeline Warren) and Lauren Archer; the father of her children (Robert Archer), her siblings Scott Lee, Cole Lee (Suzanne), Laura Lee (Peter Grina), and Kel Lee (Patricia Debon); her nieces and nephews, Matt Lee, Linsey Lee (Jonathan Deng), Kristof Grina, Kelsey Lee, Katy Lee, and Elizabeth Lee; and her beloved grand-nieces Emerson and Charlie.

A celebration of Susanne’s life will take place in Eagles Mere, PA on Saturday August 23rd at 2:00pm at the Eagles Mere Conservancy site near the Eagles Mere Pond.

In Susanne’s memory, her family invites you to plant a native plant or volunteer time towards environmental conservation, a cause she held dear to her heart.