Bessie Peggy Lee, 90, of Gilboa, New York, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 15, 2026, after a brief illness, and a fall that led to a hip replacement. In a quiet and meaningful moment at the hospital, she was baptized so that her spirit might be reunited with her beloved husband, David Lee Sr. “Popeye,” who predeceased her.

Bessie was born in Catskill, NY, and raised in Cairo and Gilboa. She attended Cairo Central School and spent much of her adult life as a steady, caring presence in the community she called home for roughly seventy years. She worked at the American Thermostat in Cairo and was known to friends and neighbors for her steady hands, warm smile, and the small, everyday acts of kindness that defined her life.

Her happiest times were simple and true: Friday nights at Wayman’s auctions with her son David and his fiancée Lisa by her side, rummaging through flea markets with Ellie, flower shopping on sunny afternoons, solving puzzles, and quiet mornings spent fishing. These pleasures—flowers in the passenger seat, the anticipation of a good auction, the patient waiting by the water—were the threads that wove the fabric of her days.

Bessie treasured her family. She was predeceased by her parents, Harold Strother and Bessie Tyler, and by her husband David Lee Sr. “Popeye.” She is survived by her son David Lee Jr. and his fiancée Lisa Swart of Gilboa; her son Donald Strother of Cairo; grandchildren David Lee III (and his girlfriend Michelle (Molinaro) of Gilboa, Tracy Lee of Gloversville, and Donald “Boo” Strother of Cairo; as well as Lisa’s children, Eleanor Dahlberg and Faith Ann Swart. She also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, and many great-grandchildren who will carry forward her memory.

A private burial will be held in the spring as weather permits. Friends and family who wish to contribute to adding lettering to Bessie’s headstone are asked to contact David and Lisa for details regarding memorial donations and to be added to the notification list.

Bessie’s life was built on quiet devotion—to family, to small adventures, and to the rituals that made ordinary days bright. Her love of auctions, flowers, fishing, and the company of those she held dear will be fondly remembered by all who knew her.

Care has been entrusted to AJ Cunningham Funeral Home and condolences may be left at www.ajcunninghamfh.com