Monday, March 10, 2025, 3:44PM |  53°
MENU
Advertisement
Vernita Lee
1
MORE

Oprah Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, dies at 83

CNN/WTMJ

Oprah Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, dies at 83

1935-Nov. 22, 2018

Vernita Lee, Oprah Winfrey’s mother, has died at age 83, the family confirmed Monday.

Ms. Lee died on Thanksgiving Day at home in Milwaukee and has already been laid to rest in a private funeral, the family said in a statement.

She is survived by daughters Winfrey and Patricia Amanda Faye Lee, the latter of whom she put up for adoption and later reconnected with, as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her two other children, son Jeffrey Lee, who died in 1989, and daughter Patricia Lee Lloyd, who died in 2003.

Advertisement

Vernita Lee, who worked as a maid, was 18 and not married when Ms. Winfrey was born in rural Mississippi in 1954. Ms. Winfrey was reportedly raised by her grandmother until age 6, when she reunited with Ms. Lee and moved to Milwaukee.

No other details about Ms. Lee’s passing were provided.

First Published: November 27, 2018, 4:34 a.m.

Advertisement
RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Craig Wolfley, a former Steeler, gives a speech at the 20th Annual Tunch and Wolf Walk for the Homeless on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on the North Shore.
1
sports
Craig Wolfley, former Steelers lineman turned broadcaster, dies at 66
Authorities in the Dominican Republic are searching for missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, who reportedly went missing in the early morning hours of Thursday, March 6, 2025, while walking on a beach in Punta Cana, officials say.
2
local
University of Pittsburgh student from Virginia reportedly drowned in Dominican Republic
A plan by the city to make Penn Avenue safer, by eliminating one lane of traffic and adding a bike lane, is meeting mounting opposition, especially by business owners who say the proposal could "kill" the historic shopping destination.
3
business
‘Preserve the Strip’: Business owners rally against proposal to transform historic stretch of Penn Avenue
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) talks to wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) on the bench during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif.
4
sports
Jason Mackey: Steelers grab an elite target in DK Metcalf ... but who'll be throwing him the ball?
Authorities in the Dominican Republic are searching for missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, who reportedly went missing in the early morning hours of Thursday, March 6, 2025, while walking on a beach in Punta Cana, officials say.
5
local
Father of Pitt student missing in Dominican Republic wants authorities to expand investigation
Vernita Lee  (CNN/WTMJ)
CNN/WTMJ
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story