Sandy Franklin Lee was born on August 18, 1970 in Washington, DC, to Phillip and Evelyn, and was a proud third-generation DC Chinatown kid. Three minutes younger than his twin brother Alex — whom he liked to say he “kicked out first” — Sandy was raised in Adelphi, Maryland, in the family home where his parents still reside. His grandfathers were chefs and decorated veterans awarded Congressional Gold Medals for their military service. His grandmothers were master tailors and seamstresses in Adams Morgan and Takoma Park, passing down a legacy of artistry and resilience.

From elementary school through Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Sandy cultivated his passions for art, anime, and video games. With his father’s help, he typeset prophetic business cards in elementary school that read “Artist for Hire.” He and Alex famously had pinball machines and a Dragon's Lair arcade game at home — ostensibly to keep them out of trouble.

A proud Terrapin or “Terp” from the University of Maryland, Sandy earned a degree in Studio Arts. It was during the late-1980s airbrushing era, and the dawn of personal computers. He liked to say that he leveraged his comfort with video games and anything with blinking lights into a job that kept the cats fed! His career in information technology took him from the University of Maryland, to the National Institutes of Health, Covance and IBM. He found particular joy in bringing technical expertise into creative and cultural spaces, ultimately landing a job working at The Phillips Collection in Washington DC, which fulfilled a lifelong dream to work in a museum. He dedicated the rest of his career to non-profits and the public sector, taking a job at the UCLA Hammer Museum, After School All Stars, public radio station KPCC (now LAist), and finally Los Angeles Worldwide Airports where he was helping them to prepare for the World Cup and the Olympics.

Sandy was an artist who worked in song, rhyme, paint, and everyday acts of care. He was a creative soul who loved anime conventions and renaissance festivals as much as art galleries and museums. He took great joy in creating unique greeting cards, videos and poems for special people in his life. He played the guitar, loved singing karaoke and even took acting classes during the pandemic! He was volunteer tech support at numerous non-profit organizations and was known to say that his community service was to “keep the Lisa machine going.” He was a beloved mascot of the National CAPACD family and enthusiastic supporter of Lisa's career. He loved the Washington Capitals, then learned to love the Los Angeles Kings and caught Dodger mania when he moved west.

Sandy was a teacher and a forever learner. He was a certified motorcycle safety instructor for the Maryland DMV, trainer for hundreds of new employees about ergonomics, and a hockey coach. Sandy owned two Suzukis and a Ducati. He loved the wind in his face and the curves of the road. He was PADI scuba certified and an enthusiastic traveler, especially to Japan and on family cruises all over the world.

Sandy adored his wife, Lisa, whom he met on Match.com in 2003, the early days of online dating. Before their first sushi date in April 2004, she required him to read Asian American Dreams by Helen Zia — which he did. He proposed on her birthday after six months of dating. She called him crazy. He replied, “Well, you said yes.” They married in October 2005 in two ceremonies: at Brookside Gardens in Maryland and Higashi Honganji in Los Angeles. Together, they built a joyful 22-year partnership grounded in creativity, humor, travel, hospitality, and deep devotion. He loved living in Southern California, saying often that he felt like he was on vacation everyday. He got to eat great food, ride his motorcycle 365 days a year, grab a Dodger or Kings game with a moments notice, visit nearby casinos to play paigow, qualify for a locals only Disneyland annual pass, go crazy at Black Pink or Linda Linda concerts, see Hollywood stars at local restaurants, community events and even where he worked. During his Aunt Sue's bucket list visit to Los Angeles to go on the Price is Right, he famously won $25,000 by playing “Punch-a-Bunch,” along with many more memorable prizes.

Sandy made people laugh – in person and on social media – from yo mama jokes and cat memes, to sports and political commentary, he was witty, irreverent and had a huge following of people whose days were a bit brighter because of the joy he put into the world. He kept his wedding vow to Lisa, promising to make her laugh every day. He was a fiercely loyal friend - open-hearted, great listener and affirming—a "yes, and" in human form. At home, he found satisfaction in restoring discarded electronics, turning waste into usefulness through patient care. He had an infectious smile, freckles for days, looked at least a decade younger than he was, loved goofy print shirts, was always in blue jeans and had more pairs of tennis shoes that any one person should have. While he did enjoy traveling, beach time, diving and cruises with family and friends, he was truly the happiest at home in his domain, watching a Dodger game, surrounded by his cats, enjoying shrimp chips, Old Bay Goldfish, dried chinese peanuts, or freshly picked oranges.

He deeply loved his twin brother Alex and his wife Jacqueline, niblings Cameron Jin and Megan Alexandra. He was the loving nephew of many aunts and uncles: Susan Lee; Terry and Frank Kong; Allen and Betty Lee; James Lee; and Pong Eng and his late wife, Jinny Eng; and cousin to Jeff, Jan and Jeremy. He will also be deeply missed by his mother-in-law, Joyce Kuniko Hasegawa; his brothers-in-law, Todd and Mark and his wife Noreen Estebas and his new niblings, Nexxy, Ashley, and Zaq. He had four cats Joker, Harleequin, Bane, and Nikki, and was predeceased by Akane, Mama Kei, Mei Mei and Moi Moi.

He lived fully, loved deeply, and left behind a legacy of artistry, irreverent humor, fierce loyalty, and unwavering partnership.

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