NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Friday that his wife, First Lady Maria Lee, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s germ-fighting system.
“Maria and I have learned that she has lymphoma and will begin treatment immediately,” Lee said in a statement. “While this news is unexpected, her prognosis is good and it is treatable. Maria and I deeply appreciate prayers for healing. We are hopeful and will share more in the days ahead.”
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Maria Lee, grew up in Silver Springs, Maryland, and later moved to Tennessee, where she became a third-grade teacher. Her students included one of the four children of Lee and his first wife, Carol Ann, who died in a horse-riding accident in 2000. Maria Lee also coached one of Lee’s daughters in track. Lee and Maria Lee were married in 2008.
“Maria came into my life just as the skies were clearing,” Bill Lee wrote in the epilogue of his book, “The Road I’m On.”