NE Headquarters Fundraiser!!

Please join Assemblyman Dave Jones for an event to support the Sacramento NE HQ

Monday August 18th
6:00pm-8:00pm
4148 Sunrise Blvd. (Corner of Fair Oaks and Sunrise)
Fair Oaks
Tickets $25 Sponsor levels $100/$250/$500
For more information or to RSVP please contact
Sam Catalano
(916)739-6001
sacdemsoffice@aol.com

Flyer: PDF   Word

SPECIAL NOTICE

Longtime Town & Country member, Legislative Liaison, and wife of Arnie Godmintz, Joan B. Lee passed away Saturday, July 26, about 7:30, very peacefully and with dignity. She died after a valiant but mercifully brief struggle with lung cancer that had metastasized to her liver and bones. The Memorial service will be at the Sacramento Universalist Unitarian Church, date and time below.

Arnie thanks everyone who was with him and Joan on this last difficult journey. Joan had many wonderful friends and partners in advocacy, and the cards, letters, flowers and best wishes of all of you have been read and savored. All of you helped Joan, Arnie and their family more than you can know.

Remembrances: You can of course send cards, flowers etc., but we know that Joan's fondest wishes were for the Gray Panthers to endure and for the causes of justice, peace, and healthcare to triumph. Contributions to Gray Panthers are welcome, or participation in advocacy and activism in her name would have made her happy.

Please contact Margie Metzler, 916-921-5008 or margiemetz@hotmail.com if you have questions.

Bee Notice, July 30

LEE, Joan B.
Beloved senior advocate, died peacefully on Saturday, July 26, 2008, at age 80. Joan was a leader in the Gray Panthers. She is survived by her husband and co-advocate Arnie Godmintz and by her three children, Jon Lee and wife Debbie and their son Anthony, Cathy and her daughters Calliope, Amethyst, and Eleanor, and David and wife Linda and their daughter Patricia. She was predeceased by her son Michael. A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 15, at 11:00 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento. Remembrances may be made to Gray Panthers, www.gpcal.org.
Published in the Sacramento Bee on 7/30/2008
http://www.legacy.com/sacbee/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=114459026

Sign Guestbook: http://www.legacy.com/sacbee/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=114459026

Article in the Bee, July 30
Obituary: Political activist Joan Lee was Gray Panthers leader
By Robert D. Dávila - bdavila@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Story appeared in OUR REGION section, Page B5
http://www.sacbee.com/obituaries/story/1119394.html

Joan Lee, a prominent Sacramento political activist and advocate for seniors who was a state and national leader in Gray Panthers, died Saturday at age 80.

The cause was lung cancer that spread to her bones and liver, said her husband, Arnie Godmintz. Her illness was diagnosed last week after she spent 16 days in a Sacramento hospital, he said.

Ms. Lee was active for many years in Gray Panthers, an advocacy organization for seniors seeking social and economic justice. She led the Sacramento chapter and was legislative liaison for Gray Panthers California, a statewide coalition. She served on the group's national board in Washington.

She was ubiquitous in public and in the press as a grass-roots organizer on progressive causes and issues important to seniors. She carried signs at rallies, registered new voters and collected petition signatures. She buttonholed community leaders, politicians and news reporters on universal health care, access for disabled people and workers' rights.

"Joan was someone who conveyed the plight of seniors and families and poor people in ways that policymakers and legislators could understand," said Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento. "She had a real grasp of facts and figures and policy, but she was very effective at putting a human face on issues."
Ms. Lee was widely respected at the state Capitol for her expertise in gerontology and for building political alliances with other groups, especially disability advocates. She spoke at hearings on health care reform, nursing homes and accessible transportation. She spearheaded efforts to pass legislation requiring University of California medical schools to fully integrate geriatrics into the three-year curriculum.

"Joan was very passionate about the issues that she fought for," said state Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. "She was very kind, but in terms of her advocacy, she was very tough. She held friend and foe accountable for the decisions we make in public life."

Ms. Lee was involved in politics and civic issues in suburban Sacramento County with her husband, a longtime Democratic Party activist. She was legislative chairwoman of the Town & Country Democratic Club and a member of the Older Women's League.

Joan Barbara Wilson was born in 1927 and reared in the Chicago area. She studied music in college, married and spent much of her life raising four children. Her first marriage ended in divorce, and she married Godmintz in 1980.

She graduated from the gerontology department at American River College and earned a bachelor's degree in communication from Sacramento State at age 57. She started the Robertson Adult Day Care Center and worked at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. She wrote and directed a video about common experiences of adults with disabilities and seniors.

Ms. Lee was an accomplished cellist and oil painter. She wrote poetry and was an avid birdwatcher during hikes in the Sierra Nevada.

She believed seniors were getting "a raw deal" in society but had power in numbers and political activism to make changes, Godmintz said. Her role model was Maggie Kuhn, who founded the Gray Panthers after she was forced to retire from work at age 65.

"Joan was a firm believer in 'use it or lose it,' " her husband said.”She didn't want to sit around and watch the boob tube. She felt seniors should get out and get busy."

About the writer:
Call The Bee's Robert D. Dávila, (916) 321-1077.

Remembrances: You can of course send cards, flowers etc., but we know that Joan's fondest wishes were for the Gray Panthers to endure and for the causes of justice, peace, equality, healthcare to triumph. Contributions to Gray Panthers are welcome, or participation in advocacy and activism in her name would also have made her happy. To contribute to the national organization, go to www.graypanthers.org; to contribute to the Sacramento chapter send to Gray Panthers of Sacramento, P.O. Box 19438, Sacramento, CA 95819. Of course, you can also join our organization. To send notes or good wishes to Arnie, send to 5313 Fernwood Way, Sacramento 95841.

Joan B. Lee’s Memorial Service
Friday, August 15, 11 am
Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento
2425 Sierra Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95825 (map below)
Refreshments will be served

Contacts:

From Dr. Bill Durston:

We lost a remarkable friend, mentor, and leader last night. Joan Lee died peacefully after a battle with cancer.

Joan was well known and respected in the greater Sacramento area for her grassroots activism on issues related to seniors, universal health care, workers rights, world peace, and other progressive causes. She was a leader at the state and national level with the Gray Panthers. She was also a mentor and a personal inspiration to me.

Joan faced her own illness and impending death with the same courage, dignity, grace, and humor that characterized her approach to the many causes she championed on behalf of others. When she learned that she had metastatic cancer, she did not express fear that she would die, just frustration that she could not continue her work.

Joan will be sorely missed by all of us who knew her, but most of all, by her husband, Arnie Godmintz, who is an inspiration in his own right. There will be a memorial service for Joan at the Sacramento Unitarian Universalist Society on August 15th.

Please join me in taking inspiration from the remarkable example of Joan Lee, in committing to continue the work that she reluctantly left unfinished, and in reflecting on the fragility of human life and the importance of appreciating every moment that we have with family, friends, and loved ones.

From Marty Omoto, July 26:

Advocacy Without Borders: One Community
Report #137-2008 July 26, 2008 Saturday evening
California Disability Community Action Network Disability Rights News goes out to over 45,000 people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, their families, workers, community organizations, including those in Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, African American communities, policy makers and others across California.
REPLY TO: MARTY OMOTO martyomoto@rcip.com website: www.cdcan.us

JOAN B. LEE OF GRAY PANTHERS PASSES AWAY - DEATH OF LONG TIME SENIOR AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE SADDENS PEOPLE ACROSS CALIFORNIA

SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - Joan B. Lee, a beloved and admired advocate for seniors and people with disabilities and leader of the Sacramento Gray Panthers died Saturday, July 26, 2008 at Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento. Her husband Arnie was with her at the time of her death, surrounded by pictures of her family, cards and flowers sent by friends and family.

Her death was caused by complications resulting from lung and bone cancer that had spread rapidly. She was admitted to Kaiser Hospital on Friday, July 4th, though it wasn't until July 20 that a diagnosis of cancer was made.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she had not been awake since Thursday. At that point it was determined that her condition was too weak to move her out of the hospital to home hospice care and instead, transferred her to another private room in the hospital Thursday evening (July 24).

Lee Widely Admired and Respected
As a longtime and prominent leader of the Sacramento Gray Panthers, her death leaves a tremendous void in the leadership in the fight for the rights of seniors and people with disabilities and mental health needs.

Lee was widely respected and admired by thousands of seniors and people with disabilities across California and the nation, including policymakers in Sacramento and Washington, DC.

From Marty Omoto, July 28:

SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - As previously reported Saturday, Joan B. Lee, (pictured right in a 2007 photo) a beloved and admired advocate for seniors and people with disabilities and a leader of the Sacramento Gray Panthers died Saturday evening at around 7:30 PM (July 26, 2008) at Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento. Her husband Arnie, who helped Joan in many of her advocacy efforts, was with her at the time of her death, surrounded by pictures of her family, cards and flowers sent by friends and family.

Lee Mourned Across the State
Advocates for seniors, people with disabilities, health care reform, policymakers of both parties across the State and nation, including officials of the Schwarzenegger Administration expressed deep sadness and grief at her death.

Margie Metzler, a close family friend and also a leader of the Sacramento Gray Panthers, was with Joan Lee and her husband at the time of her passing. She described her passing as "peaceful". Maggie "Dee" Dowling of Pittsburg, California, a close friend and a long time disability and senior advocate, was one of her last visitors at the hospital Saturday early evening, holding Joan Lee's hand. Dowling herself has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment - a situation that Lee was deeply concerned about even during her own hospitalization.

[CDCAN note: I will be sending out a special report remembering Joan (it will also be posted on the CDCAN website, with a copy to be given to her family and Arnie. I was able to spend a couple of hours earlier on Saturday with her and Arnie - though she never was awake (and had not been since Thursday through the time she slipped away Saturday evening). She is terribly, terribly missed by so many of us - not only as a tremendously powerful and good advocate, but a wonderful, caring good friend. If anyone has any thoughts they would like to share about Joan and what she meant, for this special report, please send them to me at martyomoto@rcip.com]

Death Caused By Cancer
Her death was caused by complications resulting from lung cancer that had spread rapidly to the bones and her liver . She was admitted to Kaiser Hospital on Friday, July 4th, though it wasn't until over 16 days later that a diagnosis of cancer was made.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she had not been awake since Thursday (July 24). At that point it was determined that her condition was too weak to move her out of the hospital to home hospice care and instead, transferred her to another private room in the hospital that evening.

Address for Condolences and Cards
Condolences, messages of support can be sent to her husband Arnie at their home in Sacramento:
5313 Fernwood Way
Sacramento, CA 95841

Before her death, Joan Lee received hundreds of cards and messages of support from people across the State, including policymakers. At the time of her passing, many of those cards and flowers were in her room at Kaiser Hospital, including flower arrangements from former Assemblymember Dario Frommer, Assemblymember Patty Berg and others.

Earlier in the month Sen. Darrell Steinberg (Democrat - Sacramento) and Sen. Sheila Kuehl (Democrat - Santa Monica) each paid separate visits at the hospital, as did several other friends from her advocacy work, but also close friends from her church and members of the Sacramento Gray Panthers.

Lee's husband Arnie said that the cards and messages of support and flowers meant a lot to Joan in her weeks at the hospital and deeply appreciated the prayers and thoughts of so many people across the State.

 

To all our Stonewall and other gay brothers and sisters,

I speak both for myself and for Town & Country Democratic Club, in congratulating all of you on one of the most substantial decisions yet handed down by any state Supreme Court, which acknowledges your full membership in the society in which we all live. We support you completely, both in the aggregate, and personally, as our friends!
We also know that while the Supreme Court's decision was a huge affirmation of the equal rights of all citizens, there are still people who believe that the majority rules even in the case of issues which would unjustly and unconstitutionally cause immense harm to a particular group of Americans. We fervently hope the scales have tipped, and in fact, the majority does not believe that gay people are less than any other citizen s in any way, and that all Americans need, and deserve, to live in loving families of their choosing and to enjoy the pursuit of happiness as do we all.

Margie Metzler