Claudette Kay Dickenson

Claudette Kay Lee-Dickenson was born on January 19, 1947 to Olive May Reid and Roy Lee, and was raised in Kingston, Jamaica. 

Kay, as we all know her, attended St. Hughes High School and Camperdown High School in Jamaica, on scholarship, where she graduated with high honors in English Language in 1963. Kay received her college education from LIU Brooklyn, Adelphi University, and Nyack College, where she earned her Bachelors Degree. 

Kay met her husband Hugh Dickenson in Kingston, in 1969, where they had lunch together for the first time and made a connection at first sight. They were engaged a few months later. 

As a result, the love connection grew into a 54-year love affair. 

In 1970, Kay migrated to the US to join fiancé Hugh who had already paved the way for their life-long union. They were married on October 24, 1970, in a beautiful wedding ceremony in upstate NY. Two years later, in 1972, they were blessed with the gift of their beautiful firstborn daughter, Debbie. Almost nine years later, beautiful Lisa was born and they became a family of four. 

In 2020, Kay was blessed with her granddaughter Arya Penelope aka Penny, who she loved from the depths of her soul. 

Kay worked in the Banking Industry as a Human Resources Coordinator for over 25 years.  

In the year 2000, Kay decided to leave the corporate world to start her own business. With her husband Hugh at her side, they founded Quality Daycare & Learning Center in the living room of their home. The business expanded into a successful enterprise, which  included three Day Care Centers, and later a private elementary school, pre-k through fifth grade. The enterprise became a household name in the community. 

In 1995, Kay became a member of Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she served as a Deacon and a leader of the Christian Charm Ministry mentoring young girls. 

Miss Kay enjoyed spending time with her 4-year-old granddaughter Arya (who she personally nicknamed “my little Poonki Loonki”), her 2 daughters Debbie and Lisa, and her husband of 54 years, Hugh. 

Services will be held at Memorial Presbyterian Church on Saturday February 1, 2025 beginning at 9:00am. 

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center.

Please copy the following link and paste it in your browser:

https://donate-st-francis-hospital.chsli.org/give/527056/#!/donation/checkout?eg=true

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