Naomi Sommerville Lee

***WEATHER UPDATE*** RALEIGH – Naomi Sommerville Lee, 98, passed away Monday, October 8, 2018. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at McCullers Community Baptist Church, Raleigh. Due to inclement weather, a graveside service will be held at 4:00 PM on Monday, October 15, 2018 in Montlawn Memorial Park, Raleigh. All are invited to attend. The family will receive friends from 7:00 – 9:00 PM on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Garner; and other times at the home of Joanne Lee Matthews. Naomi was born in Wirt County, West Virginia on May 29, 1920 to the late Hiram and Ottie Naomi Sommerville. She moved with her family to Raleigh, NC in 1929 and graduated from Garner High School and received a degree from Meredith College in 1940 and continued her graduate studies in library science at UNC. She began her teaching career in Walstonburg, NC. During WWII, Naomi was a cryptologist, “Code Breaker,” for the Department of Defense. When she returned to Raleigh, she began the rest of her 34-year career as a public school teacher, principal, and librarian in the Wake County School System. During her years in education, she touched many young lives. During this time period, she met and married Uzzle “Buddy” Lee, Jr. and worked with him on their farm while teaching and caring for their family. They celebrated 63 years together before his death in 2009. Naomi was a member of Wentworth Christian Church and McCullers Community Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School and being an integral member of the Womens Missionary Society. In addition, she was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society and NC Retired School Personnel, and American Legion Auxiliary. One of her greatest pleasures was being a member of the Ruritanettes of the McCullers Ruritan Club and supporting the many activities of McCullers Ruritan Club. She was especially honored to work for the Ruritan organization as the First Lady of Ruritan National with her husband, Buddy, National President, 1976. Her most cherished role was being a wife and mother. Her dedication to her family was unwavering. Her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren were all strengthened and blessed by having her example in their lives. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Uzzle “Buddy” Lee, Jr.; sisters, Anna Byrd Jarrett, Verda Isabelle Hendrick; brother, Samuel Smith Sommerville; and son-in-law, Gerald E. Matthews, Sr. Naomi is survived by her loving family which includes her daughter, Joanne Lee Matthews and fiancé, Jesse Warren Jones, II, of Raleigh; sons, William Uzzle Lee and wife, Emily, of Fuquay-Varina, Richard Sommerville Lee, M.D. and wife, Catherine Lee, M.D., of Garner; 6 grandchildren, Leslie Elizabeth Matthews Czech (Peter), William Morgan Lee, Christin Naomi Matthews Harman (Jason), Millard Lee Matthews (Heather), Alexandra Sommer Lee, and Christian Richard Lee; and 3 great grandchildren, Annalee Naomi Harman, Audrey Catherine Harman, and Daniel Edward Czech. Arrangements by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Garner. Online condolences may be made at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com.