People release balloons Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, outside a Lee’s Discount Liquors store in honor of former CEO Kenny Lee, who was killed in a car crash Nov. 19, 2021, on U.S. 93 between Ely and West Wendover.
Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 | 12:58 p.m.
Kenny Lee
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Balloons drifted gently from the parking lot of a Lee’s Discount Liquor on the northwest side and into an eternal sky this morning, scrawled with handwritten messages for the late company CEO and friend to many, Kenny Lee.
“Live the life in heaven as you did on earth,” one read.
“Always a great guy and hell of a golf swing,” read another.
“May your spirits soar as high as you did here on earth.”
“Rest in paradise.”
Or, simply, “love you.”
About 200 people, with at least five times as many red rubber balloons, met for a vigil to send Lee off at exactly the time, 10:25 a.m., when the delivery van he was driving in eastern Nevada exactly one week ago today crashed head on into a truck on U.S. 93 between Ely and West Wendover.
Lee died at the scene. He was 53.
“His celebrity — as much as he tried to downplay it, he belonged to the Mount Rushmore of Las Vegas icons,” said his colleague, Lee Vice President of Operations Ron Principio.
Kenny Lee, with his late father Hae Un Lee, was instantly recognizable from the humorous television commercials and billboards around town for Lee’s Discount Liquor. Hae Un Lee founded the chain in 1981, a year after immigrating to the United States from South Korea. The company has 23 retail stores in the Las Vegas Valley, Reno, Mesquite and West Wendover, near where Kenny Lee died.
Hae Un Lee died in August of cancer at age 79.
The Lees were noted philanthropists. The company has contributed millions of dollars to the Las Vegas community over the years through Lee’s Helping Hand, a nonprofit launched by Hae Un and Kenny 20 years ago. One of the four areas the foundation supports is education, where it provides monies for early childhood reading, international college students, and to support teachers.
He was an avid golfer and passionate about the Vegas Golden Knights, rarely missing a home game for his beloved team.
Kenny Lee is survived by his wife Nami and three children.
Gov. Steve Sisolak said Kenny Lee loved Nevada, taking in its sights and talking to regular people. He loved his family, friends, employees and everyone in the parking lot off Tenaya Way, Sisolak said.
Michelle Goodale knew Lee for nearly 30 years. She met him at church, and was a server at a barbecue restaurant the family owned. He called her Noona, Korean for “elder sister.”
“I saw him 10 days ago,” Goodale said. “He was being goofy, laughing.”
Debbie Michaud, whose company cleaned the windows at the Lee family homes, said he was “a cut-up.” He and his dad were just as funny as they were in commercials, she said. They were hard workers and always in a fine mood, ready to stop for a hug or photo.
He was Principio’s boss, and, Principio said as he let a bunch of balloons slip through his fingers, his “brother.”
“No greater human being is ever going to walk the earth again,” he said.
