Renee Inomata passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family, on

December 1, 2025, unexpectedly due to a recent illness. As the beloved wife to

Paul Lee, she was his guiding light for the past 22 years during which they shared

love, joy, laughter and respect. She was a cherished spouse, daughter, sister and

friend, and her presence will be deeply missed.

Renee was the loving daughter of Dr. Akira Inomata and Mutsuyo Inomata and

sister of Lisa (Inomata) Fields of New York. She also is survived by many cousins

and relatives in Japan. She will be remembered with deep affection by Paul’s

siblings: Shuet Lee (sister-in-law and surviving spouse of brother George), William

Lee and his wife Lilly, and Evelyn Thom and her husband Frederic. Renee also is

survived by their children: Peter, Beverly, Jeffrey, Tedd, Jill, Tracy, Alissa and Laura,

as well as great-nieces and nephews: Kaitlyn, Kiera, Iolana, Henry, Mia, Ryan,

Kayla and Natalie.

A woman of many talents and accomplishments, Renee was an outstanding

student and exceptional violinist in her youth. She sat as first chair in high school,

played with the state youth orchestra and also with the Brown University Orchestra.

Renee was concertmaster with the Brown orchestra when it performed at Carnegie

Hall in New York City. Renee’s intellectual curiosity led her to study neuroscience in

college and then law at Boston University School of Law. She embarked upon a rich

and successful career as an employment attorney.

Renee was loved by many family members and friends throughout her life.

Throughout her childhood, education, social activities, community engagement and

her professional legal career, people gravitated towards Renee and her warmth,

integrity, kindness, and intelligence. She gave of herself with a generous spirit to

her relationships and communities with her whole heart and infused everything that

she did with boundless energy, genuine enthusiasm and tireless effort.

With an innate sense of knowing what to say or do, she understood when to give

advice and guidance or just listen, and always did so with empathy, calmness and

patience. She embraced opportunities and made connections to lift people up, help

organizations develop effective programs and raise necessary funds - all with

sincerity, humility, intentionality, and humor. Renee met people where they were,

accepting family, friends, colleagues and clients as they are. Always guided by

personal conviction arising from her moral compass, she was thoughtful, strategic

and deliberate in the guidance that she gave and the decisions which she made.

Renee was a visionary and an insightful leader with tremendous passion for all of

her activities, especially for the Asian Community Fund and WGBH. As an

inaugural ACF Steering Committee member, she helped define ACF and was a

steward of the Asian Business Empowerment Council. She also cared deeply about

WGBH as a Trustee and as Chair of the Board of Advisors.

Services will be private. A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date,

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to either:

WGBH  https://www.wgbh.org/support/tribute-and-memorial-gifts

or to

The Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation (by check made payable to

“Boston Foundation Inc.” or by ACH transfer to Eastern Bank, 195 Market Street,

Lynn, MA 01901 to ABA/Routing: #011301798, Account Name: Boston Foundation

– Incoming ACH, Account Number: 60-1679756. Please include the donor’s name

and the memo “Asian Community Fund in memory of Renee Inomata”).