Vicki Elaine Lee was born to Florence (Birkeland) and Kenneth Hoistad on December 23, 1951, in Devils Lake, North Dakota. She was the last baby born in the old hospital in Devils Lake before it was turned into a nursing home.

She was an outgoing child. At the tender age of 4, she told her amused parents, “I ain’t afraid of nobody or nothing.” That statement became a favorite story repeated over the years. It was humorous and it was true. She made friends easily and maintained many friendships with people every place she lived, worked, or volunteered. She always looked forward to new experiences and places to go.

The family moved to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, in February of 1957. She attended school in Fergus Falls. She was an excellent student, even winning first place in her junior high spelling bee. She graduated from Fergus Falls High School in 1970. She attended college at Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota, majoring in English.

She married Donald Lee on June 23, 1973, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls. Vicki and Don spent the next three years in Georgia and Florida while Don finished his tour of duty in the Navy. During those years, Vicki taught preschool and kindergarten. They then moved to Fargo, North Dakota, where Vicki taught English at Shanley High School.

In 1980, they moved to Kennewick, Washington, to work at Hanford. Vicki worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a technical editor/writer for 17 years. In 1997, she moved to Desert Communications, a friend’s communication business in Richland. In 2002, she formed her own company, Lee Scientific Communications. For the next five years, she spent one week a month in Washington, DC, writing procedures and policies for the newly formed Department of Homeland Security. In addition, she did work for the U.S. Department of Energy. She retired in 2011.

In 2012, she and Don moved to Maui, a much-loved vacation spot, that she called her heaven on earth. They lived there for 8 years. They found their church home at Kihei Lutheran Church where they were heavily involved in many church activities. Vicki served as treasurer for seven years.

They returned to the Tri-Cities in 2020 and reconnected with old friends. An 8-year cancer survivor, Vicki learned in mid-January of this year that a particularly aggressive cancer had recurred and was very advanced. Always the realist, she bravely opted not to undergo treatment. She died February 22, 2024, at the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy with Don, her devoted husband of 50 years, at her side. She is survived by Don; her sister, Sheree Hoistad of Dickinson, North Dakota; Don’s niece and nephew, Kristin White of Orlando, Florida, and Brett Lee of Dallas, Texas.

Throughout their 50 years together, she and Don were avid travelers, with many wonderful trips to Hawaii, Europe, the South Pacific, the Caribbean Islands, and the Mediterranean. Volunteer work was a big part of her retirement years. On the home front, she loved her cats and usually had several, most of whom were strays who showed up on her doorstep and were taken in. She liked to crochet, a craft she began learning at the age of 8 under her grandmother’s tutelage. Over the years, she made countless beautiful items, particularly baby Afghans that she donated to Project Linus and other similar organizations. She liked to socialize with friends. She appreciated a good cup of coffee and a dish of ice cream. She liked books, TV, puzzles, games on her iPad, and Excel spreadsheets.

She was known for her sense of humor. She loved pranks and jokes and liked to banter with family, friends, and coworkers. For any occasion that required humorous entertainment, she was the one called on to plan and provide it. Anyone who knew her was sure to have a story about something funny she had said or done. We will all miss that.

She was an organ donor. Her final contribution was the gift of sight — her corneas were donated to the Lions Eye Bank.

The family would like any memorial contributions to go to the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, Please check back for updates regarding Vicki’s Service Details. Thank you.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Einans at Sunset Memorial Gardens Funeral home. Please help us honor Vicki’s life by dressing island tropical for her service.