Lee Anne Nordman (Metz)

Born: Febuary 27, 1945
Died: December 15, 2016
Age at Death: 72 years

Lee Anne Metz 1945 to 2016   Lee Anne Metz (Lee Anee Nordmann) was born in 1945 in Sonoma, California and moved to Sacramento, California while in high school. She showed independent spirit by emancipating herself while a high school junior by working nights and weekends at a hamburger stand. She graduated from Sacramento State College summa cum laude in psychology. She was selected by Travelers Insurance to become one of the first two female claims adjustors in the U.S. After several years, Travelers promoted her into their legal malpractice unit in San Diego. Later she became an investigator for the San Diego City Attorney’s office and retired in her mid-40s after 10 years. At 21, she met her husband, John, and was married on the 20th anniversary of their meeting. In retirement, she became very involved in quilting and was fascinated by batik fabric, a hand-dyed fabric utilizing a resist dye process using molten wax. She traveled to Java and Bali, Indonesia and took batiking classes. Intrigued by the Javanese batik paintings she began to import them to sell to quilters to incorporate the paintings into their quilts. What started as a hobby turned into a successful business and Lee Anne’s Batiks became the largest batik painting importer with retail and wholesale sales throughout the states. After five years, she sold the business which continues today. The batik itch disrupted her second retirement, and she started Batik Textiles, designing batik yardage used in quilts and clothing. That company had 60 dyers and a warehouse in Bali and had more than 1,500 accounts in the U.S. as well as distributors in Canada, Australia and Europe. She sold that company and finally retired. A winter trip to Florida became a permanent move after she fell in love with the warm Gulf waters and sugar sand of Anna Maria Island. After only three years in Bradenton Beach, Mrs. Metz was diagnosed with end-stage cancer and passed after a difficult seven months of treatment. She was active in dog rescue organizations in both California and Florida and a generous contributor for her cause. A celebration of life is being planned on April 30, 2017, in Bradenton Beach, Fl. Mrs. Metz is survived by her husband, John; niece Kim Johnson and her husband; three grand nieces and a grand nephew, all of Bradenton, Fl.; and brother, Larry Nordmann, of Auburn, California. 

Lee Anne’s mother had been a “functioning” alcoholic in her high school and earlier years and her parents never came to her high school graduation despite her emancipation and supporting herself through high school. This deeply affected Lee Anne and is probably is why she had kept these documents for her lifetime.

She deserved better of course but this demonstrates the harm parents can do.

Lee Anne was a very generous person and an ardent animal protector.

Thanks for your work that allows such stories to unfold.

John Metz