PRISCILLA LEE
Mass of Christian Burial for Priscilla Lee, 76, of Sioux Falls was held Tuesday, July 19 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Marty. Burial was in the Marty Catholic cemetery. Peters Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Priscilla passed away peacefully surrounded by her close family on July 16, 2022, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls after an extended battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
Priscilla was born on January 8,1946 at Wagner to Percy and Helena (Bernie) Archambeau. Priscilla had a deep love and respect for her father Percy. He served as Tribal Chairman for 20+ years applying the same basic management concepts we find today in successful managers. Priscilla often talked about her father and how he served his people without a salary and often using his own personal funds to invest in the Greenwood community. She used these same basic management concepts in leading, planning and organizing the Wagner Indian Health Service for ten years. It was her dream to move home and help the Ihanktonwan Dakota Oyate receive the best health care possible. Her performance and leadership were evident in receiving a 100% score on a Joint Commission survey in 1996, a feat rarely achieved in the IHS system.
Priscilla attended Northern State College, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She continued her education and attended the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, where she received a Master’s in Public Administration. Following her graduation from Northern State, Priscilla was selected for an Administrative Management Trainee position with the IHS. This allowed her to get work experience in multiple administrative disciplines in the IHS system. Prior to accepting the Wagner CEO position, she worked as a Contract Specialist and a Tribal Projects Specialist for several years and worked closely with tribal organizations in providing the technical assistance necessary for them to be successful. Tribal personnel wished her well when she accepted the CEO position, but openly expressed their dismay in losing such a valuable service that she provided.
In March of 1975, while attending Northern State, Priscilla met Don Lee. They were both pursuing the same business administration track. They discovered they had similar aspirations in life, which laid the foundation for a lasting relationship. They married that same year and welcomed a daughter, Brooke who joined Robin, a daughter from a previous marriage.
Priscilla was a beautiful lady, inside and out. She had the most infectious smile and always put a positive spin on a potential negative situation. She was pleasantly kind and courteous to all that met her. She loved life and her family immensely and loved boutique shops and never left without a couple bags of items and a smile. She enjoyed fine dining and especially enjoyed playing the slot machines.
She is survived by her husband Don Lee of Sioux Falls; children: Robin (Jamie McGhee) of Sisseton; Brooke Lee (Lee Jackson) of Omaha, Nebraska; and her special grandson Wayde Lee Charging Hawk, St. Paul, MN. She is also survived by sisters Helen Cournoyer and Karen Archambeau, Wagner, and one brother Stanton Archambeau, Greenwood.
She was preceded in death by her parents and 11 siblings. She will be united spiritually with her parents, Percy and Helena; brothers Clarence, Kenneth, Raymond, Francis, Louie, Larry Dean, John, Gordon and Michael; and sisters Valerie and Debbie.