Leovena M Mateja

Lee was born September of 1931 and raised with an older sister, by a single mother in Buffalo, NY. Gifted with a very strong will and independent spirit, she forged her path forward through 9 decades. On top of tall buildings, Lee would jump from roof to roof playing tag with the neighborhood kids. She showed her independence at an early age, by teaching herself how to bake. With that discovered she had a talent that grew into a passion for making food, baking, and decorating desserts. In her teenage years through young adulthood, Lee had moved between her parents’ households in Buffalo and Cleveland. She learned education was important and started working where she could. She settled into Cleveland, where she met her husband, Norman. They started a life together, later bringing 5 lives into this world. They moved their family from Cleveland, onto a quiet dead-end street in Streetsboro where Lee would call home. As the kids grew older and needed her less, she got a job at Stouffer’s and later moved over to Nestle. She often said that was her favorite place to work since it was not just a job and she loved making food. When she was able to retire from there, that did not stop her from keeping busy. Lee started a business with one of her sons, which is still in operation today. Even while growing a new company, she became a home health aide to help others. She retired again at the age of 80. Lee was not one to stay idle for too long and always found something to keep herself busy. She worked with the company, did chores around the house, gardening, canning, cooking, and baking. There was always something to do, learn, or get done. When she was not doing one of these tasks, she loved to play Pinochle and Sorry. She devoted herself to Jehovah at the Kingdom Hall in Streetsboro, where she kept her spirit strong and met many good friends along the way. Starting as a kid jumping rooftops in Buffalo, strong willed, motivated, and full of hope for the future. Lee lived a long full life on her own terms and passed away at the age of 94. She always said she was on borrowed time. To the people who knew and loved her, it was precious time, spent with an amazing woman, also known to many as “The Cheesecake Lady.”