The son of a meat market owner, Kenneth Koon Leong Lee grew up in Kalihi-Palama and always put others first, his family says.

Lee, who served Kalihi as state representative for 10 years, during 1968-1976 and 1978-1980, died Aug. 30. He was 85.

"He is a very caring person, very compassionate," said his eldest child, Marion Lee. "He always helped the poor. He always helped the people in his district, the disadvantaged, those on welfare … although he did not have any material wealth."

Marion Lee said her father was "very proud of his work on health care legislation for Hawaii, and helped pass legislation to start the University of Hawaii’s law school and school of medicine."

Former state Rep. Henry Peters, who served as Lee’s vice chairman on the Labor and Public Assistance Committee, said of Lee, "He was tough. He had a lot of pressure from the unions and other interest groups. But he was very focused and he knew what he had to do, and he got it done."

Lee was very family-oriented and very spiritual, Peters said.

Marion Lee said her father "was a very honest politician" who "did not capitalize on his name."

Born March 13, 1927, in Honolulu, Lee joined the Army in 1945. He was discharged in 1947 and met Peggy Y.M. Wong in San Francisco. They attended the University of Hawaii together and were married in 1948.

Lee was a handyman, entrepreneur and salesman. He sold ice cream out of a truck, and sold scrap metal and encyclopedias.

He served as president of Panin North America, an American-Chinese investment company, and served on the board of directors for American Security Bank, later renamed First Interstate Bank.

Kenneth Lee is survived by his wife Peggy; daughters Marion and Sandra Lee and Debra Lee Stiefel; sons Kenyon and Kendall; and 11 grandchildren.