by Kevin Caruso
Henry Lee, 20; freshman majoring in computer engineering; from Roanoke, Virginia; graduated from William Fleming High School.
Henry, who was also known as Henh Ly, was the ninth of 10 siblings who emigrated from Vietnam with the rest of his family to Roanoke in 1994. He spoke no English when he arrived.
But Henry learned English quickly and went on to do very well in school. And although he was a serious student, he loved to have fun and was anything but serious when he was with his friends.
“He was a little clown,” said Samantha Smith, a friend.
“He was a shy person when you first got to know him, but once you were friends with him he was the most wacky and funny…person,” said Amanda Theller, another friend.
But Henry was a very caring person and many people cared about him. “I knew Henry for five brief years but each moment that I had the privilege of spending with him will remain in my heart forever,” Samantha Smith.
Samantha also commented about Henry’s academic awards: “I look back on our Senior Awards Ceremony. Henry kept receiving so many awards that they told him to just sit on stage. He laughed, embarrassed that they would even suggest such a thing. At our graduation, when he spoke for his Salutatorian speech he said, ‘If I can do it, everyone can do it.’”
“When I think of Henry, I think of his smile,” she added. “I hope that his smile will live on within the hearts of all those who knew him. He was amazing. He was Henry.”
Henry Lee is one of the greatest angels in Heaven.
We miss him.
We honor him.
We love him.
We will never forget him.
