Antonio Levin Lee

Reflections of a Celebrated Life 

In Farmville, Virginia on September 13, 1961, Samuel Levin Lee and Mary Brown Lee were blessed to welcome their first child, Antonio (Tony) Levin Lee, into their hearts and world. Like millions of Black southerners, Tony’s parents were part of the Great Migration, leaving the Jim Crow south and seeking safety, better economic opportunities, and an improved quality of life in the north. They lived briefly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Newark, New Jersey, and finally settled in East Orange, New Jersey. The Lee’s joined, were baptized, and became active members of the Emmanuel Church of Christ under the leadership of Bishop Harold Foy. 

Tony’s strong work ethic, sense of responsibility, and caring for others was shaped by the example set by his parents and extended family, who worked tirelessly to support each other. Tony also witnessed the challenges many in his community faced, which inspired him to pursue higher education, believing a college education would help him achieve his many aspirations. A goal-oriented stellar student, Tony graduated at the top of his class from East Orange High School and matriculated to Virginia Polytech Institute and State University (Virgina Tech). 

At Virginia Tech, Tony met many Hokies who remain lifelong friends, pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. As a senior, Tony had several job offers and decided to go to the Lone Star State after accepting an offer from Texas Instruments to work in the Dallas area. (At the time, Tony was a Cowboy’s fan, and that sweetened the deal for him.) That pivotal decision had a profound impact on his personal life and changed the lives of many, most importantly that of Glenda Sullivan, with whom he would forge an enduring partnership. 

Tony and Glenda met at a Trivial Pursuit party in Plano (that Glenda decided to attend at the last minute by tagging along with a friend). The two became fast friends. Glenda introduced him to the best Mexican food restaurants, how to make homemade pizzas, and the Central Texas country life where her parents lived. Tony taught Glenda how to drive a manual transmission car, explained football in a way she could finally understand, and introduced her to his love of travel. Among the things they already had in common was a devotion to Luther Vandross, whom they saw perform in several cities, including Toronto, Canada. 

Although Tony enjoyed many things about living in the Dallas metroplex, he soon had much disdain for the hot temperatures and decided to move to the beautiful four seasons of Durham, North Carolina. In the days before cell phones and unlimited data plans, Tony and Glenda spent hundreds of dollars on long-distance phone calls and earned thousands of frequent flier miles to sustain their long-distance relationship, which culminated in Tony proposing to Glenda and Glenda accepting and moving to North Carolina. They married in Waikoloa, Hawaii (where they met Luther in the hotel gift shop a few days before their wedding) and began building their new life, creating memories, and cultivating communities. 

Tony was thrilled to become a dad. He was fully engaged and an equal partner in all aspects of Nigil’s care and upbringing. Tony influenced and nurtured Nigil’s engineering interests, regularly purchasing more complex Lego sets than what was typical for Nigil’s age, providing Nigil with opportunities to challenge himself, think critically, and practice problem-solving at an early age. Tony also sought out camps and other experiential activities to aid in Nigil’s development. Tony and Nigil shared an incredible bond built on a foundation of love, and as Nigil grew into the young man he is today, Tony took immense pleasure in seeing Nigil’s accomplishments, learning from trials, and pursuing his interests (which also includes traveling and flying). 

Professionally Tony was successful in using his natural problem solving, analytical, and exemplary interpersonal relationship skills at Nortel Networks, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Duke University. His last employer, NetApp, was by far his favorite. 

Tony actively pursued his passion for seeing new places and experiencing different cultures through taking a United States cross-country road trip from North Carolina to California, wandering and hiking National Parks (including, but not limited to, Acadia, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes, Hot Springs, and Zion) and traveling abroad to Barcelona, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Normandy, St. Marteen, Würzburg, Vevey, and many other places. Tony’s other pleasures included enjoying impressionist art (Edgar Degas and Claude Monet were favorite artists) and cycling. He was a five-time participant in the annual New York City Five Borough Bike Tour, where he raised thousands of dollars for cancer causes. 

Tony thrived on being present with friends and family, attending special events -- graduations, weddings, family reunions, and regular visits throughout the country to say “hey.” He was observant, curious, and genuinely wanted to help others and whatever he took on, it had to be done correctly—no shortcuts! 

During Tony’s private battle with cancer, he would often say the following to Glenda: 

“I’ll never ask God why?” 

“I believe God has a plan. Therefore, I must accept it.” 

“It’s a shame we can’t forget our troubles the same way we forget our blessings.” 

Tony is preceded in death by his father, Samuel Levin Lee, his father-in-law, Willie Sullivan, Sr., and his sister-in-law, Bernadine Sullivan (Wade). 

Tony departed “this life” on November 12, 2024, and is survived by his wife of 30 years, Glenda Sullivan Lee; son, Nigil Lee; mother, Mary Lee; siblings, Zachary Lee and Yolonda Robinson (Robert); in-laws, Gloria Sullivan, Wade Sullivan (Beverly), Mary Anderson (Booker), Willie Sullivan, Jr. (Treva), Kenneth Sullivan, Robert Sullivan, and Latresia Johnson (Kevin); his four “doing life” brothers, David McMillan (Anita), Robert Ridley (Kimberly), Jade Shields (Valerie), and Earle Smith (Tara); and his godson, Jameel McMillan. Cherishing his memories as well are his nephews, nieces, and hundreds of family members and friends. 

We, the family, would like to thank God for the life, love, and legacy of Antonio (Tony) Levin Lee. We will cherish his memory forever.