Rose Benté Lee Ostapenko died July 20 in Arlington.
She was born in Fulda, Germany, May 14, 1919, the youngest of
12 children. She studied dress design at the Marian School in
Fulda.
In the late 1930s, she immigrated to the United States to
join her family.
She married Raymond H. Benté, and together they
founded The Sewing Shop that eventually became The House of
Fine Fabrics. When Raymond died, she ran the business herself
until it was sold in 1978.
She married Robert E. Lee, a commissioner and chairman of the
Federal Communications Commission and became active as a
philanthropist. She became a member of the Marymount
University board of trustees. In 1984, she established the
Rose Benté Lee Endowment Scholarship in Nursing.
Through a generous gift, she established the Rose
Benté Lee Center at the university.
“The entire Marymount University family is saddened by the
loss of Rose Benté Lee (Ostapenko). She was a
long-standing member of our board of trustees, a great
supporter of the university for decades, and has been a great
inspiration to many of our students. She will be missed not
only by the Marymount family but by everyone whose lives she
touched,” said Marymount President Matthew D. Shank.
In addition to Marymount, she was a supporter of Niagara
University in New York and the University of Notre Dame in
South Bend, Ind.
After the death of her second husband Robert, she married
Rear Adm. William M. Ostapenko in 1999.
Ostapenko was a supporter of Virginia Hospital Center and
served on its board of directors.
The Arlington Diocese was a frequent benefactor of
Ostapenko’s generosity. She donated money to support the
building of the St. Rose of Lima Priests Retirement Villa in
Annandale.
A viewing will take place July 24 from 2 to 4 p.m., and 6 to
8 p.m., at Murphy Funeral Home of Arlington, 4510 Wilson
Blvd. The funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 p.m., July 25
by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde with Father James R.
Gould, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton,
as the homilist at St. Agnes Church, 1910 North Randolph St,
Arlington. Interment will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to
Marymount University, Rose Benté Lee Nursing
Scholarship Fund, Attn: Office of Advancement, 2807 North
Glebe Road, Arlington, Va., or to St. Rose of Lima Priest
Retirement Home, Arlington Diocese, 200 North Glebe Road,
Suite 811, Arlington, Va. 22203.
