Author Archives: leeandjudy

Memorial Service UPDATED details

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In Memory of Lee and Judy, a service will be held on

Saturday, September 15th 2012  2:00 pm

at the

Center for Spiritual Living

5801 Sand Point Way NE 

Seattle WA 98105

Please note that the Center for Spiritual Living is not equipped to receive flowers. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Esmé and Lila Dirks Memorial Support Fund.  The Center for Spiritual Living has parking for 400.

If you are travelling from out of town, details about recommended accommodations are posted on the Hotel Information page.

If you’d prefer not to stay in a hotel, there are some friends of Lee and Judy who have space in their homes around Seattle and would gladly welcome hosting you.  Email Andy Carothers (andycar@gmail.com), and he will put you in touch.

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Judy Lew and Lee Dirks, long-time Seattle residents and Microsoft veterans, involved in a fatal auto accident in Peru.

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Judy Lew and Lee Dirks, who were on holiday in Peru celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary, died in a car accident on Tuesday, August 28 when their car slid off the road.

Judy and Lee were beloved members of the Seattle community and truly inspiring people. Judy grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, attended Columbia University where she earned a B.A. in Political Science and joined Citibank where she worked for eight years. Judy earned her MBA from the University of Michigan and joined Microsoft in 1996. Known for her kindness, passionate commitment to work and thorough preparation of every detail, Judy led a number of key product planning and product development roles at Microsoft and was a Principal Program Manager in Visio at the time of her death.

Lee, a native of Texas, attended Trinity University and earned a Masters in Information and Library Sciences at the University of North Carolina. The couple met in New York and re-located to Seattle in 1996. Lee started as Microsoft’s first archivist and moved to Microsoft Research where he was a Director of Portfolio Strategy travelling the globe, establishing key relationships for the company with universities and research institutions. Lee was also involved in education and development issues, serving on the boards of the University of Washington’s Libraries’ Council of Advocates and the Washington Preservation Initiative. Lee’s intellect, passion for life and infectious enthusiasm made him friends wherever he went.

For Judy and Lee both, family and friends came first. Both will be remembered as amazing parents to their two daughters, Esmé (6) and Lila (4). Always ready to lend a hand, give a hug, talk trash about Carolina basketball, discuss their latest camping adventure, the secret to making Texas barbecue or how to organize just about anything – Judy and Lee will be deeply missed by family, friends and colleagues alike who had the privilege of knowing and loving them.

Memorial details will be posted early next week. In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund for the girls’ education is being established. For more information on either the service or the fund, please contact Andy Carothers, andycar@gmail.com or Trinh Vo Yetzer, trinh_vo_yetzer@hotmail.com.

The Dirks and Lew Family