Grace Lee Oei, 92, a long-time town resident who co-founded Montessori Children’s House of Miami Lakes, died in her sleep on May 24.
In March she had moved to a senior residential facility in Weston.
Born in Philadelphia, Oei graduated from Connecticut College with a degree in Economics and married William Oei.
The couple lived in Indonesia, Thailand and The Netherlands during his business career before they returned to the U.S., a daughter said.
The Oeis had four children before the marriage ended.
Oei earned a teaching certificate from what was then called Barry College and became a certified Montessori teacher, her family said.
Oei helped grow the Montessori, founded in 1971, from a storefront to a standalone school at 6381 Miami Lakeway North.
It served students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade.
“Bob Graham [former U.S. senator and Florida governor whose family developed Miami Lakes] helped them find a warehouse space in town,” said daughter Karen Hotaling of Palmetto Bay. “Eventually they had a school built.”
Susan Moore of Miami Lakes, whose daughter Megan attended the school, praised Oei’s teaching skills.
“Grace stayed in our lives for many years because she also tutored Megan through her adolescence,” Moore said. “We thought the world of Grace because she was so dedicated to Megan.”
After retiring in 1989, Oei continued to tutor students, especially those with special needs.
A familiar figure at the Mary Collins Community Center,
she attended Tai Chi and yoga classes.
Oei also belonged to book clubs, tackled Sudoku and crossword puzzles and enjoyed going to the opera and musical theater. Oei studied art for college credit and drew portraits of her grandchildren.
She was learning Mandarin and began playing the piano in her fifties.
“She was quite good,” Hotaling said. “Chopin was her favorite.”
Oei was life-long traveler, with good friends or her sister Elizabeth Wu of Miami Shores, and enjoyed river cruises.
She taught her children to read before they began kindergarten and exposed them to sports, art, music and literature, her daughter said.
In addition to Hotaling and Wu, survivors include adult children Kendall Oei and his wife Grace in Hong Kong; Jonathan Oei and his wife Sandra in Miami Lakes and Christopher Oei and his wife Karen of Pembroke Pines.
Oei also had six grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
No memorial service was held, per her wishes.
Photo of Grace Lee Oei courtesy of Christopher Oei.