The BC, Musqueam and UBC flags on the UBC Vancouver Campus (at the North Plaza of the Life Building) and the Canada, BC, Okanagan Nation Alliance and UBC Flags at UBC Okanagan are lowered today in memory of Dr. Robert (Bob) H. Lee, CM, OBC, former Chancellor of UBC and Chairman of UBC Properties Trust, who passed away on February 19, 2020.
Bob was born and raised in Vancouver. The traditional Confucian values of humility, modesty, honesty, studiousness, and social duty were deeply ingrained in him from his father, Ronald Bick Lee. Bob, who was affectionately referred to as “Mr. UBC,” met his wife, Lily, while they were attending UBC, and their four children and three children-in-law are also alumni. After graduating from UBC in 1956 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, he embarked on a successful career in real estate and founded the Prospero Group of Companies.
Bob was extremely devoted to the service of his alma mater, serving two terms on the UBC Board of Governors. He was installed as chancellor in 1993, served as chair of the UBC Foundation, and was the honorary chair of UBC’s start an evolution campaign. UBC awarded Bob an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 1996, and in 2006 the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at the Sauder School of Business was established in recognition of Bob’s generous gift to support graduate business education. In appreciation of Bob’s personal and other contributions to UBC totaling over $15 million, members of the community came together to name the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre in his honour; it opened in 2015.
Please read more about Dr. Lee in Professor Ono’s message to the UBC community.