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Lana Lam

Tributes poured in for a much-loved Hong Kong family last night as friends and relatives of the Lee family mourned their tragic deaths following a car crash in New Zealand.
Standard Chartered senior executive Warren Lee, 53, his wife Aesoon Lee, 52, and their daughter, Julia Lee, 20, were killed instantly last Tuesday afternoon when their car collided head-on with a logging truck near the North Island town of Tokoroa.
Their son, Griffin Lee, 17, had been in critical condition since the crash but died yesterday at Waikato Hospital, New Zealand police said.

The family were US citizens of Chinese and Korean descent. It is understood that Warren's two brothers and Aesoon's sister had flown to New Zealand to be by Griffin's side as he fought for his life.
Last night, close friends and family were in shock at the sudden loss of the entire family.
"Warren, Aesoon, Julia and Griffin were special people with solid values that we can all appreciate and respect," said long-time family friend Jonathan Chou, based in Singapore.
"We will deeply miss them and continue to pray for their extended families as they grieve. We offer our deepest sympathies and gratitude for sharing their incredible but short lives with us."
Chou and his family joined the Lees on their first trip to New Zealand in December 2002.
"They were a very close-knit family. They loved Hong Kong and the US and had plans to continue to live in Hong Kong through retirement and split their time between the two places," he said.

A memorial service will be held at the Hong Kong International School (HKIS), where Griffin was a senior student and from which Julia graduated in 2012.
"The Lee family has been an active part of the HKIS community since 1998 and their absence from us will be felt in many and deep ways," said head of school Alan Runge.
"I can't fully fathom the depth of the loss that the extended family is feeling right now. As we come together to grieve, we keep them and their friends in our hearts and prayers, and pray for peace and comfort to the many students, parents, faculty and alumni that were close to Griffin, Julia, Aesoon and Warren."
Banker Charles Regan, 53, first met the Lee family when they moved to the luxury estate Hong Kong Parkview in Tai Tam more than 10 years ago.
"Warren was a great guy, a good family person and a good business person," he said. "He was just one of these guys who held it together really well in all aspects of his life."
Finance professional David Friedland used to play tennis with Warren every Sunday.
"The family had a rapport with their kids which you kind of envy, a really strong relationship with their children. That's what makes it so tragic."



Tributes pour in for Hong Kong family of four killed in New Zealand crash

Griffin Lee (left), aged 17, and 20-year-old sister Julia Lee (right) were  in the front seats of the car when the accident happened.

The wreckage of the family's car. Photo: NZ Television

Parents Aesoon Lee (left) and Warren Lee (right) were on holiday in New Zealand to help daughter Julia relocate for her studies.

Hong Kong couple, daughter killed in car crash while on holiday in New Zealand

The wreckage of the family's car, seen in footage from TV New Zealand. Police said the daughter was at the wheel. . Photo: TVNZ

The wreckage of the family's car, seen in footage from TV New Zealand. Police said the daughter was at the wheel.

The car collided head-on with the logging truck (right) on an Auckland highway. Photo: TVNZ

News

Hong Kong

Friends, relatives mourn 'special' family of four who died in New Zealand


Tributes poured in for a much-loved Hong Kong family last night as friends and relatives of the Lee family mourned their tragic deaths following a car crash in New Zealand.


Update | Tributes pour in for Hong Kong family of four killed in New Zealand crash

Friends, relatives mourn 'special' family of four who died in New Zealand