Robert H Lee

Biography

Lee was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. He grew up in Vancouver's Chinatown section. His father immigrated from China and settled in Vancouver, where he opened a restaurant. Lee worked in his father's restaurant as a cook.

He also enrolled in Chinese school for 12 years. In his early teenage years, Lee became interested in the real estate business and often shared this interest with his father. He aspired to become an entrepreneur. Lee enrolled at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia where he studied business and graduated in 1956.

After graduating from Sauder, Lee opened a real estate business and began to build an extensive network that included Tong Louie, the founder of the retail store chain London Drugs and philanthropist David Lam, later B.C.’s lieutenant governor, who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1967.

Lee's breakthrough into real estate came in the 1960s, when Communist China tried to take over the British colony of Hong Kong. A mass exodus of Hong Kong Chinese immigrants made their way to Vancouver and many of these newcomers were advised to visit Lee because he could speak their language.

During this time, he expanded his business into apartments. In 1979, he founded Prospero, which has a diverse portfolio of real estate ranging from retail, office, and industrial properties. Prospero has properties in the Okanagan, on Vancouver Island and in Greater Vancouver. The company also has a property management division. His son Derek Lee now runs the company.

Philanthropy

An ardent philanthropist, Lee donated money to myriad causes in Vancouver's Chinatown, including the Chinese School that he graduated from as well as to the University of British Columbia, where the Robert H. Lee Graduate School was named in his honor. He also sent money to his ancestral home village in China. The Robert Lee YMCA (Downtown Vancouver) is named after him in recognition of his leadership donation towards the new facility. A member for 45 years, Mr. Lee made the YMCA a part of his daily life.

Awards and memberships

Lee is a recipient of many awards. He received the Order of British Columbia and was named Businessman of the Year in 1990, selected by a panel of Chinese-Canadian businessmen and the Vancouver Board of Trade. He is also a trustee of the Bank of British Columbia, a directorship of the Real Estate Institute of Canada, Vancouver Foundation, B.C. Paraplegic Foundation and of the Port Authority of Vancouver. He is also the received an Order of Canada and an Honorary Doctorate of Law UBC.

He also is a member of YMCA Vancouver and serves as a director of Crown Life Insurance, Canadian National Railway and Wall Financial Corporation. In addition, Lee has been a Governor and Chancellor of UBC and was responsible for generating $400 million for the school's endowment as a founding member of the UBC Properties Fund.

Personal life

Lee's wife Lily is a graduate of UBC. They have four children. All four of their children and their spouses were graduates of UBC.