BAR HARBOR —
Congratulations to RNs Patrick Ainsworth, Carolyn Barry, Tonya Brown, and Essie Simmons, the recipients of the 2025 Ursula E.J. Lee and Dr. Leung Lee Memorial Award for Nursing Excellence
These awardees were described as going above and beyond for their patients and their families. They are recognized for always listening and advocating, so that anyone who comes to MDI Hospital and Health Centers is treated with dignity and respect.
Patrick, a palliative care nurse, provides compassionate and thoughtful care to patients living with serious and chronic illnesses. He takes the time to listen deeply, educate thoroughly, and guide patients and their families through complex medical decisions with empathy and clarity.
Carolyn, a health center nurse, is described as a trusted leader and resource. Her expert triage skills and compassionate approach ensure that patients always receive timely, appropriate care, taking into account both clinical and social factors.
Tonya, an emergency department nurse, is known for taking on the most challenging and complex cases without hesitation. She is a leader and fierce patient advocate. Tonya cares for behavioral health holds and ICU-level patients and everyone in between, and treats them all with the same level of high-quality care and compassion.
Essie, a health center nurse, is always willing to step in wherever she is needed, even if it is outside of her usual role and responsibilities. Essie brings a warmth and calming presence to her work and exemplifies the best qualities you would want in a member of your care team.
Established in 2019 by Dr. Leung Lee in memory of his wife, the Ursula E.J. Lee & Dr. Leung Lee Memorial Award for Nursing Excellence honors the compassionate, loving care Ursula received from her nurses at MDI Hospital. The award is given to four nurses each year who demonstrate clinical excellence and a commitment to compassionate care in their nursing practice.
History of the Award:
Ursula was born in 1925 in Berlin, Germany to a well-respected doctor and his second wife, an operating room nurse supervisor. He was Jewish; she was Lutheran. Significantly younger than her two siblings, Ursula grew up surrounded by family and relatives. They were all well-educated and cultured, free of religious conflict. She excelled in her studies at school, and her popularity with classmates insulated her somewhat from the troubles of pre-war Germany. But by 1938 war seemed imminent, and her father sought to get his family out of Germany in any way possible.
Through the Kindertransport program, it was arranged for Ursula to be sent to England to live with a country vicar, his wife, and their three teenage children. In July 1939 at the age of 14, she left Berlin for England with the permitted one small suitcase, never to see her father again. Less than a month later, WWII began.
Life in wartime England was hard, but Ursula prospered. She was loved by her foster family, and she never failed to marvel at how generous and caring they remained despite wartime hardships. While Ursula had arrived in England with only a minimal proficiency in the English language, she graduated four years later, at the top of her class, speaking perfect English with a charming British accent. Although awarded a scholarship to Oxford University, she declined that honor as Britain was still at war and she wanted to serve her adopted country. Instead, she enrolled in nursing school.
For Ursula, working as a nurse in post-war England was a satisfying and rewarding experience – nurses were afforded great responsibilities due to the shortage of physicians. However, to join her mother and brother who had survived the war, she emigrated to the United States in 1948. During the summer of the following year, she met her future husband, Leung Lee. For him, it was love at first sight; for her, it took a few more months.
During the following years, their relationship flourished. 1953 was particularly memorable as they discovered beautiful MDI and Acadia National Park, which would become the highlight of many summer vacations, and more importantly, they were married. Ursula had blithely ignored the adage: “Don’t marry a medical student and suffer a decade of hardship; marry a doctor with a successful practice.”
From 1953 to 1964, while Leung completed his clinical training and a research fellowship in Pathology, Ursula had no choice but to become a masterful multitasker: a skillful nurse anesthetist and a favorite of surgeons, a homemaker, a gardener, a supportive and loving wife and the mother of two very young sons.
In 1964, they settled in Princeton, NJ. The town had an enclave of notable German emigres who had been driven out of Europe by the war and attracted there by Albert Einstein. It was here that Ursula enjoyed life to the fullest. She was befriended by many German emigres and could speak German with them – a “Berliner” again. She and Leung transformed their ordinary yard into a garden masterpiece that was admired by all, including other master gardeners throughout Princeton.
After Leung retired from a successful career at Princeton Medical Center, they considered moving to a retirement community, but did not do so until Birch Bay Retirement Village was opened in 2002. Then they had the good fortune to buy a cottage with a panoramic view of Frenchman Bay. Ursula was able to landscape the cottage with beautiful flowering trees and bushes. She enjoyed social activities with neighbors and Mainers. Her 16 years at Birch Bay were a period of peace and contentment.
Although Alzheimer’s disease shortened her life, it never touched her wry sense of humor. Ursula will always be missed, but will be remembered for her grace, kindness, courage, and ability to persevere and overcome hardships. After the passing of Dr. Lee in early 2020, the Lee family re-dedicated this award to the memory of both Ursula and Dr. Leung Lee.
