Barbara Joyce Lee (née Mathaisel) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 15, 1948 to Adelaide Mathaisel (née Jablonsky) and Bernard Mathaisel, first generation Americans whose families had emigrated from Poland and Germany. Barbara was one of six children, with siblings Joan, Bernard, Dennis, Bryan, and Baby Elaine who passed away when she was an infant. Barbara’s early years began growing up on Beacon Hill until her family moved to the Boston suburb of Chestnut Hill. She graduated from Newton North High School and remained in the Boston area. From 1968-1973 she worked as a Research Technician in Orthopedics at Mass General Hospital, where she met a dashing young man from Maine, Philip Lee. A little known fact is that while Philip was also enrolled in Mass General’s Research program, it was not directly through the hospital that they met, but rather informally through a Russian matchmaker and friend, Cyla. Cyla was also employed as an Orthopedic Tech at Mass General, but she worked her real magic in connecting Barbara and Philip over her scrumptious homemade pierogis. Barbara and Philip fell in love and ultimately moved to Portland, Maine, Philip’s birthplace, where they had an apartment on the Eastern Prom overlooking Casco Bay. They were hip and cool way before their time. Philip swept Barbara off her feet. They were together for four years before they officially tied the knot on September 2, 1973, at Philip’s childhood summer residence on Little Diamond Island in Casco Bay.

Barbara’s passion for medicine and healing continued upon her move to Maine. Initially, she served as a Monitoring Technician on the first Open Heart Surgery Team at Maine Medical Center. She later enrolled in the University of Maine School of Nursing, earning her Bachelor of Science degree, and then officially started her nursing career working at Maine Medical Center in Portland as an Emergency Room triage nurse. Barbara eventually went back to school and earned her Masters in Anesthesia from the University of New England. For years, she worked as a Nurse Anesthetist at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, before retiring due to a spinal injury.

Those who know Barbara and Philip immediately recognize the profound connection and deep love for family that was at the core of their 53 years of marriage. The family home and the community at Little Diamond Island is a beloved anchor for their lives. Daughter Abbie was born first, followed by Zoë, and it was time spent together as a family – especially at the island – that was the most meaningful of all. A love of travel was instilled in both girls, opening their eyes and expanding their horizons beyond the little universe that they lived in while growing up in Portland and summering on LDI. Both girls share a love of Maine, mother nature and an active outdoor lifestyle. Higher education, a strong moral compass, and a deep sense of devotion and commitment to family and community were imparted on the girls by Barbara, who modeled all of these traits with grace and ease. In 2010, granddaughter Simone was born. Since her birth she has been the pride and joy of Barbara, who was fondly referred to as Oma. Simone completed the Lee family, and some of Oma’s favorite times were those invaluable moments spent with Simone over nearly 16 years of love and an unbreakable bond. Whether it was transporting her to/from school and sports practices, cheering her on at soccer games in the blazing heat or freezing rain, baking muffins and cookies together and delivering them to fellow islanders, enjoying french fries and hot cocoa together at “the beach” at Sugarloaf, or simply laughing and dancing, Oma was the most adoring grandmother under the sun.

Fond travel memories consist of: Barbara and Philip’s honeymoon which included a trans-Atlantic voyage on the Queen Elizabeth II followed by a month traveling through Europe and exploring the Swiss and French countryside; a particular vacation in the Bahamas in the 1970’s with a group of close LDI friends where the weekly rental for their ocean-front “cottage” was a whopping $20 split 7 ways; a summer traveling throughout Europe with Barbara, Philip, Abbie and Zoë while residing in Zurich as home-base; a Mom-Daughters-Granddaughter girls’ trip through Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, the Dolomites, and the Amalfi Coast) with highlights of listening to the Papal Address in the Vatican City and swimming in the Tyrrhenian Sea; and the most recent trip for Barbara and Philip in March 2026 on a Danube River cruise with ports of call Budapest, Bratislava, Linz, Vienna, Melk, and Passau.

In the end of May 2026, Barbara was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the fourth of her five siblings to receive this diagnosis. She fought hard but the cancer was aggressive and fast paced. She was stoic, brave and strong through to the very end. She was our warrior queen. In the final days she was completely surrounded by her family, wrapped in love. She passed away while sleeping in the early morning hours of September 30, with her soulmate Philip next to her.

Barbara is survived by her husband Philip, daughters Abbie and Zoë, their significant others Graham and Michael, granddaughter Simone, sisters-in-law Mimi, Trish, and Clare, brother Dennis, and countless nieces and nephews.

Barbara is pre-deceased by her parents Adelaide and Bernard, and her siblings Joan, Bernard, Bryan and Elaine.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Maine Cancer Foundation https://mainecancer.org/ to support pancreatic cancer research, treatment, and care. These donations stay in Maine to help Mainers fight and cure this cruel and devastating disease.

A celebration of Barbara’s life will be scheduled for early next summer on Little Diamond Island.

In the near-term the family welcomes you to a gathering on Saturday, October 10 from 2 – 5 pm at Abbie and Graham’s home.