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{"ID":252,"SpaceID":1,"PageID":31,"HasCommentsThread":false,"SeoTags":{"OpenGraphTags":[{"ID":"og:title","Name":"Anna Lee (1938 - 2024): obituary"},{"ID":"og:type","Name":"website"},{"ID":"og:url","Name":"https://www.globetennisclub.com/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/Anna+Lee+1938++2024+obituary"}],"NonOpenGraphTags":[]},"Path":"Anna+Lee+1938++2024+obituary","Title":"Anna Lee (1938 - 2024): obituary","Author":{"ID":5,"Name":"Huw Morgan Jones","CompanyName":null,"HasEmail":true},"Version":6,"IsDraft":false,"IsOldVersion":false,"PublicationDate":"28/10/2024 17:48","VersionDescription":"v6 - Huw Morgan Jones","HideHeader":false,"IsFullWidth":false,"ThemeCode":null,"BackgroundColour":null,"JumpLinks":[],"Blocks":[{"Columns":[{"Width":12,"WidthClasses":"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12","Elements":[{"ID":828,"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003cp\u003eIt was with great sadness that we learnt that Anna died on Saturday 21st September 2024 at the age of 86. As we pay tribute to Anna and her extraordinary life, we begin at the Globe Tennis Club where she spent so many happy years. Anna\u0027s husband, Sung Pei, joined the club through a university friend and, in 1968, encouraged her to do so too. Anna, whose first love was skiing, was a beginner to the game and it took her a little while to learn the nuances of tennis. She soon overcame these and together with Sung Pei, became central figures at the club. The Globe was the perfect haven for a young Swiss girl and a Chinese student who had fled Communist China to begin their Hampstead journey. It was a sanctuary where they were able to meet like-minded folk and join a multi-racial community that had been the raison d’être for the Globe’s founding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":null,"ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"Alignment":null,"Position":null,"Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":null,"Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":829,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.globetennisclub.com/Client/Images/Cms/Anna_and_Sung_Pei.jpg","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":"750px","FrameStyle":"frame","BorderRadius":"px","Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":830,"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003cp\u003eIt was the former President, Hugh Manning, who suggested to Anna she would be well suited to this role and so, in 1991, she was elected President, a position she occupied for a total of 29 years. During her tenure she achieved a huge amount: developing elite team tennis, maintaining the club\u0027s social ethos, overseeing the extension of the club house and campaigning vigorously for the renewal of the lease with Camden Council, thus securing the longevity of the club. The photographs of Anna from that time in the Ham \u0026 High with celebrity backers such as Dr Who actor, Christopher Eccleston, and local MP, Tulip Siddiq, are a testament to her commitment to ensure the club\u0027s future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was also under her tenure that the club enjoyed an extraordinary period in its competitive history. The Men\u0027s 1st team swept all before them and for over a decade was able to rival the very best teams in the country. The photograph of Alex Bogdanovic and Sasha Slabinsky with Anna when they returned for an exhibition match after having turned professional is a tribute to her stewardship of the club.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs well as tennis, Anna originally enjoyed playing poker before taking up bridge at the Globe. Bridge became a real passion at which she excelled and also played at the Carlton Club Bridge Society and Cumberland Tennis Club, running the Gerber Cup. Her regular bridge nights became a highlight of her week; it was a terrific way to spend an evening with every hand of bridge a new challenge along with great company and a fine supper to finish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnna lived in Hampstead for 65 years and was an integral part of the community. She had many friends in the area and loved attending local events such as concerts, talks and exhibitions and being a member of the Heath and Hampstead Society, a friend of both Burgh and Kenwood House. She regularly took her Jack Russell, Milo, to the Heath and Primrose Hill and became friendly with fellow dog walkers, never taking for granted the privilege of living so close to these wonderful localities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnna was born in Ramosch, a remote village, in the Engadine Valley in the far east region of Switzerland. For the first five years of her life she lived in Foggia, southern Italy, where her parents had a growing business. However, the Allied bombing in 1943 made it unsafe for her to remain, so her parents sent her back to Switzerland to be looked after by her aunts and uncles for the final years of the war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter the war, her parents returned to Switzerland and bought a hotel in the border village of Martina. Anna spent a happy childhood there, entertaining herself by ploughing through the German and Italian classics and finding solitude in reading while sat on top of her stove in the long, snowy winters. She was a bright student and, with the unexpected death of her father when she was a teenager, made the decision to go to London to learn English, one of the six languages she spoke fluently. Anna lived in a girls hostel in Wedderburn Road, Hampstead and it was here that fate intervened and through her roommate, and future sister-in-law, she met her husband, Sung Pei, who was studying architecture at the Architectural Association. They fell in love with the artistic community of Hampstead and Belsize Park and remained in the area for all of their lives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnna remained very attached to her homeland. She would often return for a few months each summer and was well known due to her knowledge and understanding of the Romansh culture and language. She was a Radio Correspondent for Radio Romansh and contributed to many programmes, mostly on contemporary topics relating to London. The Romansh community had a huge appetite for the Royal Family and this kept her busy. She was called upon to report on every event from Princess Diana’s tragic death to, more recently, the coronation of King Charles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRadio Televisiun Rumantscha also made a film on her life in London in 2016 and subsequently featured broadcasts about her dog, Milo, as he had developed his own fan club after the airing of the TV programme. Anna was pleased to continue the Swiss influence at the Globe (the club\u0027s first President, Gottfried Keller, was also Swiss) and his idea of forming a democratic and inclusive club was something with which Anna strongly identified.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn her professional life, Anna was a respected art historian and taught well into her seventies. She studied at UCL, did her MA in German Expressionism and German Literature and went on to lecture in Art History at City University (University of London) on the Arcadia programme for 30 years. Anna was particularly interested in contemporary art and was a member of the Association of Art Historians and the Royal Academy where she was a Schools Patron in the Royal Academy Graduate School. She was especially supportive of the young artists as they built their careers and would always attend their graduate shows. She was especially proud when her grand-daughter, Antonia, graduated from The Slade and became an artist herself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnna\u0027s passion for art meant that she would always look forward to attending the latest exhibition, passing on valuable insights to her friends about the works on show. Her role at the Royal Academy meant she was invited to private views, curator-led tours at the RA and other galleries as well as artist studio visits. Indeed, it was a quick drive to Swiss Cottage tube station from where Anna would head off to all parts of the city. On one such visit to an artist\u0027s studio, she went with a friend to one of the edgier parts of south London and ended up outside Millwall Football Club at the same time as a home match was kicking off. With raucous fans streaming into the stadium, Anna was more than a little perplexed when a police officer asked the two visitors if they were also attending the match. She replied: \u0022\u003cem\u003eNo, we are Arsenal fans.\u0022\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnna possessed a rare energy and her packed diary reflected this, with most days containing several engagements. This was maybe to be expected since Anna was interested in everything and everyone. This genuine spirit of curiosity saw her cultivate a wide network of friends from different milieux and ages, many of whom would enjoy meeting each other when Anna entertained. While old-fashioned in some ways – that Swiss desire for order never left her – Anna had a youthful spirit. She also had a worldly perspective on the absurdities of life and her mischievous sense of humour, delivered with a playful glint in the eye, could brighten any discussion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnna dealt with her illness with typical fortitude and still found the strength to come to the Globe on occasions. She danced at the 70th Anniversary Party knowing full well it was to be her last social engagement at the club. On the drive home she said ‘it is in good hands’ and was excited about the new courts and the growing membership. Anna was also able to see her family welcome their newest member to the Globe; on a golden afternoon this summer all four generations of the Lee family came together as Anna was joined by her children, Nick and Leta, grandchildren Nick, Keith, Antonia, Clara and Valentina as well as her great-grandson, Domenic. As the sun set on Court 1, it was a moment to reflect on an extraordinary journey and a wonderful legacy.\u003c/p\u003e","ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":null,"ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"Alignment":null,"Position":null,"Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":null,"Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":831,"Type":"IMAGE","Content":null,"ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":"https://www.globetennisclub.com/Client/Images/Cms/Anna_Lee_on_court.JPG","ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":"750px","FrameStyle":"frame","BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":"white"},"Alignment":"centre","Position":"bottom","Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":"black","Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"0px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false}]}],"ColumnSpacing":"0px","BottomMargin":"0px","TopPadding":"0px","IsFullWidth":false,"IsBackgroundFullWidth":false,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""}}],"PageURL":"https://www.globetennisclub.com/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/Anna+Lee+1938++2024+obituary?version=6","AllVersions":[],"Comments":[],"UpdatedComments":[],"Spaces":[],"IsWatching":false,"LastViewTime":null,"CanEdit":false,"CanPublish":false,"CanCopy":false,"CanCreateTemplate":false,"CanComment":false,"CanReadComments":false,"CanModerateComments":false,"CanLike":false,"CanWatch":false}
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