Family, friends, colleagues, and fellow climbers remember Lee Lee Heah as vibrant, principled, funny and kind with “the wickedest laugh.”
Beyond her formidable reputation in the courtroom, Lee Lee lived life with extraordinary energy, from hiking, kayaking, and scuba diving to discovering her greatest passions later in life – rock climbing, mountaineering, and surfing.
Lee Lee was also a woman of deep conviction. Born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1955, she grew up in a family of seven children where money was tight but determination was strong.
As a teenager, she dreamed of studying abroad, and a Kiwi pen pal helped ignite her journey to New Zealand. She went on to complete degrees in Commerce and Law at the University of Auckland, working part-time jobs to support herself, before becoming a top criminal barrister. She later moved to Christchurch to be closer to the mountains she loved.
Her friend, Jenny Chilcott remembers Lee Lee as a woman of courage, determination and focus with a remarkable generosity of spirit, who never wasted a moment.
“She lived life to the fullest — climbing, surfing, fighting for justice, and laughing loudly along the way. Even her final words to me were so typical of her spirit: Just do it!”
That same spirit guided Lee Lee’s decision to leave most of her estate to causes she believed in. Among them was Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/ Doctors Without Borders, as well as Greenpeace, Oxfam, Forest & Bird, and several animal charities.
Her generosity ensures that even after her passing, her values of compassion, justice, and courage will continue to ripple out into the world.
Tenneale Cameron, Senior Fundraising Manager of Gifts in Wills at MSF, says Lee Lee’s legacy is a profound reminder of how one person’s foresight can make an impact far beyond their lifetime.
“With so much turmoil around the world — from conflict zones and refugee crises to disease outbreaks — bequests such as Lee Lee’s allow MSF to continue providing urgent medical care where it’s needed most. Her generosity will save lives.”
In more than 70 countries, independent medical humanitarian organisation MSF provides frontline medical care: treating malnutrition, supporting mothers and children, operating mobile clinics in war zones, responding to natural disasters, and reaching displaced people who have nowhere else to turn.
A gift in your will — no matter the size — ensures MSF can act quickly, independently, and compassionately when lives hang in the balance.
In New Zealand, more people are recognising how powerful a legacy gift can be. To date, more than NZ$150 million has been pledged through the online platform Gathered Here, with around 13% of New Zealanders now including a gift to charity in their wills.
Recent data from MSF’s partner Safewill also shows that 35% of people making a will via a charity page chose to leave a bequest — a testament to the growing generosity across Aotearoa.
For Lee Lee, leaving a bequest was one more way to live out the principles she held dear – fighting for fairness, standing with the vulnerable, and living
courageously.
If you, too, want to create a lasting impact, consider leaving a gift in your will to Médecins Sans Frontières. Learn more at msf.org.nz/leave-a-legacy.