Zelia “Zee” Genevieve Stewart Lebeau was born on December 23, 1928 to Seymour James Stewart and Marie de Jaham in New Orleans, the third of five daughters. From an early age, she displayed both a keen intellect and a strong will, qualities that would serve her throughout her life. Educated by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, she went on to graduate from Maryville College in St. Louis in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in physics—a remarkable achievement for a woman of her generation. Her first job out of college was programming analog computers for the geophysical exploration industry, combining her aptitude for numbers with the cutting-edge technology of the time.

On September 26, 1951, Zee married Air Force Lt. Edward J. Lebeau, Jr. of St. Louis. They eventually settled in Houston where they raised their twelve children.

Her home was one of warmth with a distinctly ordered chaos, and a certain lively energy that only comes from a house full of children. It was generously open and attracted numerous “adoptees” who spent their free time there and have remained family friends over the decades. She instilled in her family the Christian values of faith, hard work, resourcefulness, and looking after one another-lessons that have been passed down to the next generations.

Zee was a natural teacher. She coordinated the Bellaire Red Cross “Learn to Swim” program in the 1970s, ensuring that countless children and adults could experience both the safety and the joy that come from feeling confident in the water. She was recruited as a teacher by the Religious at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, and, to be certified in that role, earned her master’s in education from the University of Houston in 1976. Her students benefited from her patience and her precise teaching, which stemmed from her firm belief that everyone is capable of learning and that no problem was too hard if you tackled it methodically.

After finding themselves with an empty nest (finally!), in 1993, Zee and Ed downsized, moving to Country Place in Pearland. While supporting Ed in the pursuit of his many hobbies, Zee honed her bridge skills, put her talents to work serving on and ultimately chairing the Architectural and Landscaping Committees, helping maintain the beauty of the neighborhood, and building a wonderful network of friends along the way. She was a talented seamstress, sewing clothes for her family for many years. A quilt she made that incorporates scraps from many of those items is a treasured family heirloom—sparking discussions of various outfits, memories of fun times or special events, and a knowledge that each garment was sewn with love.

Zee enjoyed learning new things, from taking hula dancing lessons, to teaching herself how to replace the cane seats in antique wooden chairs. As technology changed, she kept up – learning how to use a PC and later mastering an iPhone, even using it to refresh her knowledge of German gained from classes taken many years ago!

Zee had many passions. An artist with oil paints, she brought color and texture to the canvas. With knitting needles or a crochet hook always nearby, she created numerous blankets, each one a piece of art and a gesture of love. As an avid reader of fiction, she could often be found lost in a story, her quiet presence providing familiar comfort wherever she went.

Of greatest importance to Zee was her large, extended family. Well into her nineties, she kept careful track of the various anniversaries of dozens, including her children, their spouses, her grandchildren, her nephews and nieces, and close family friends. She celebrated these beloved people with personalized greeting cards, which always seemed to arrive on just the right day.

Those who knew her remember her intelligence and steady determination and her gracious spirit. She had a way of making people feel cared for without fuss, of getting things done without fanfare, and of living each day with purpose.

Zee leaves behind a rich legacy: a large and loving family, many students whose lives she impacted, numerous handmade treasures, a diverse circle of friends, and the example of a life lived with discipline, creativity, faith, and love. Her story is one of quiet strength—the kind that will live on in the heart of every person whose life she touched.

Visitation will be 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and rosary at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19th 2025 at Crowder Funeral Home, 2422 East Broadway Street Pearland, TX 77581.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 20th, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church 3617 Milam St. Houston, TX 77002