Lee KNAPP Obituary

Lee you touched so many life's with your love of life passion and caring nature . Remember the good times reading, movies , walking, drinking, boating in akaroa. Love you to bits . I know you will be looking down on us all and guiding our futures.
X x

To my Auntie Lee. You used to just call me Sweetie. I remember that. I remember the fun we all used to have as kids. Me Persia, Sian. Always bubbly and laughing and fun. You brought out the fun in all of us. Such a loss, but keep the smile going up there. All my love. To you and all your family xxxx

My beautiful friend of 40 years. Missing you. My love and thoughts to all the family. She has left me with so many happy and crazy memories of such fun times. Annie Parker .....Blenheim

I wrote this for you all yesterday at the funeral.. I wanted to share with you some of the amazing stories of our trip together.

My darlings Grace, Persia, Sian, Richie, Ann, Bill, and all your family and friends. Words cannot express how sad and broken hearted I feel for you all. I wish I could be there with you today. I am sending you so much love and am holding your hands from afar.

I am so incredibly blessed to have spent such a special time with Lee recently when she came to Europe to visit Margaret and I in Valencia.

I met her in Sitges Barcelona after she had flown from Auckland directly after having chemotherapy. I said I would meet her at the hotel because I thought she would be exhausted and jet lagged. Lee wasn't having a bar of that. She sent me a message and said I'm waiting for you at Sitges train station darling. By the time I arrived she had sussed out all the good shops and cafes.

We cried and hugged one another. She looked so amazing and so happy I couldn't believe how much energy she had. She then said to me it's the steroids darling they will wear off by the weekend and laughed. I can honestly say it's the first time in my life I didn't say very much and for those of you who know me well that's no easy task.

We were both so pleased to be together. She was so excited about the adventures we were about to embark on. We talked and talked that night about our lives. Times spent together and times apart. We unravelled the years and filled in the missing pieces.

We talked about the love of our children. She absolutely adored her two girls. How proud she was of you both and what wonderful young women you have grown into. We talked about our beautiful grandchildren and shared photographs. (lots of them!) How proud she was of little Charlie and Rosie Lee. She talked about the love she had for all of her family and friends and how incredibly supportive you have all been.

We travelled together for three weeks. She came to Valencia and fell in love with it. We travelled to another part of Spain and then onto France and Italy. We met up with Sian and her family in France. Lee was so happy to be there. She was so excited and even more excited when she heard there was a market.

We all know Lee's love for shopping! And boy did she shop! I became very good at carrying all the bags and seeking out shops with seats. It didn't matter what language, she always seemed to have a very good range of shopping vocabulary.


Then there were the post offices where I would have to carry the heavy boxes to post back to New Zealand. One post office in Spain we actually had to pack the box inside the post office in front of a very curious bunch of Spanish onlookers.

Our time travelling together was full of wonderful adventures. We laughed a lot and we saw a lot. Lee was always so glamorous and no matter how she felt she always turned up looking absolutely stunning. She really did turn heads when she entered a room.

As you all know towards the end of our trip, things did take a turn and Lee was beginning to become more and more tired and was obviously in more pain than she let on about.

Her will to live was absolutely amazing and the fight she put up was incredible. People with cancer are warriors who have been sent into fight a battle they did not choose to be a part of. She was one hell of a warrior who fought with every bit of strength she had.

Lee wanted to show the world she was living with Cancer not dying from it. She really did believe she would win the battle.

I wanted to share some of these memories with you to let you know what an amazing experience she had and how happy she was to have achieved it.

I love you so much Lee and I will miss you terribly

Thank you for giving me such wonderful memories. Thank you for bringing me back into your family. Thank you for reuniting me with my friend Sian. Thank you for your incredible generosity and introducing me to first class trains and five star hotels! I will never be able to travel the same way again! But most of all thank you for being a wonderful friend and such an inspiring and beautiful Woman.



Sandi and Margaret

My very deepest sympathy to Persia, Sian, Grace , Richie and all other members of Lee's family. I will always remember you as so full of life when we used to share at Shackleton Rd, Mt Eden. Taken too soon. So much yet to live for. may you rest in peace. Veta x

Goodbye my dear friend, I shall miss you forever Love Deanne x

Dear Lee - you were so loved and will be missed so much. Thinking of your fabulous girls, adorable grandchildren, wonderful mum, loving brothers and sister.
You will stay in our hearts forever. Family times will not be the same but we remember the good times and smile. You made a difference to the world and can be proud.
Fondest love, Robyn and Mike X

Dearest Lee, You loved to have fun and live life to the full while you were on this earth. Heaven won't know what's hit it - hope you get to keep on partying!
For those left behind, there is a huge hole in everyone's hearts. Love, light and hugs to you all as you adjust to this huge and sad loss.
Steve, Clare, Faith, Iris and Lucy Goodwin xxxxx

Dear Persia and Sian. We were so very sorry to hear of Lee's passing. You are both very much, along with your families, very much in our thoughts and prayers during this time and beyond.. We have many fond memories of you all, especially during your childhood years in Torbay. With lots of love and hugs from Roland and Anne Plank XX

Oh Lee it is impossible to believe you are not here amongst us, the air is thinner, the light is dimmer. I miss you.
Corey x.

Darling Lee

Where you've gone I can't be sure, but
it seems you've set up home in my dreams.

There you are at Devonport,
waiting in the rain on Friday night
as the Waiheke ferry comes into sight.

You in your orange dress and
those scarlet fingernails.
And I cook you rack of lamb
served up with a bottle of wine

Darling Lee

Our positive one, our inclusive one
Our kind one, our generous one,
Our glamorous one, our outrageous one,
Our gutsy one, our brave one

Condolences to Lee's family I grew up next door in Riverlaw Tce.
Christine Drummond (Streeter)