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.
Beloved Sacramento Gray Panthers Leader
CALIFORNIA MOURNS DEATH OF JOAN LEE - LONGTIME
SENIOR AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE PASSES AWAY SATURDAY
MEMORIAL SERVICE TO BE HELD - NO DATE SET YET -
ADDRESS FOR CONDOLENCES TO HER HUSBAND ARNIE GODMINTZ
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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 Godmintz, 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.
Memorial Service To Be Held - No Date Yet
The family plans to cremate her body with a memorial service planned at
the Sacramento
Universalist
Unitarian
Church
, though no date has been set (CDCAN will send out
info as soon as it is available).
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.
Lee Widely Admired and Respected
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.
She served on many policymaking groups, including the Olmstead Advisory
Committee formed by Governor Schwarzenegger's executive order in 2004 to
advise the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency on
the state's implementation of the landmark 1999 US Supreme Court
"Olmstead Decision". That decision requires the states to
take steps to avoid the unnecessary or unjustified institutionalization of
people with disabilities and seniors.
Lee also had been a strong leader and tireless advocate in the fight for
health care reform, strongly supporting passage of a single payer health
reform plan, most recently SB 840 by Sen. Kuehl. She also fought
hard for other health care issues that had impact on seniors and also
people with disabilities, including prescription drugs, nursing home
reform, and efforts to create and support more community-based services
and supports. She fought against budget cuts and policy changes that
would have made major reductions to In-Home Supportive Services, Adult
Protective Services, many of the aging and senior programs under the
Department of Aging, Medi-Cal.
Lee Was A Leader In the Gray Panthers
Lee was recognized as an advocate for issues impacting seniors, people
with disabilities, low income families and children, but was probably best
known as the most visible leader within the Gray Panthers
Affiliation of California Networks.
The Gray Panthers Affiliation of California Networks is a recognized Gray
Panthers group made up of all Gray Panther networks in the state.
She, along with other leaders, convened the Sacramento Gray Panthers group
in Sacramento at the Hart Senior Center on a regular monthly basis.
She also headed its legislative committee.
The Sacramento Gray Panthers mailing address is:
Sacramento Gray Panthers
PO Box 19438
Sacramento, CA 95819
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.
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To respond to this report reply to: Marty Omoto at martyomoto@rcip.com
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MANY MANY THANKS to Friends of Children with Special Needs, UCP of Orange
County, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Alta California Regional
Center, FEAT (Families for Early Autism Treatment), Life Steps,
Easter Seals California, Parents Helping Parents, Work Training, Foothill
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Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability
Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To
Empower People (STEP), Harbor Regional Center, Tri-Counties Regional
Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living
and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers,
People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family
support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program
families and children, and others across California
DISABILITY
RIGHTS NEWS REPORT