Albert Thomas Lee Jr. was not a fan of vegetables, particularly corn. A friend even offered him $100 to eat an ear of corn, but he couldn’t do it.
“He didn’t like how it tasted in his mouth, he didn’t like the kernels, so it was a task trying to get him to eat corn until I finally just gave up,” his mother Oddess Blocker said with a laugh in her voice.
Marching to the beat of his own drum was a pattern for Albert, who went by Albe. He was different. He didn’t care about what everyone else was doing, he stayed in his lane and kept his focus on his goals.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kutztown University and was in the process of entering the local electrician’s union. For about eight years, he worked at Edible Arrangements in Center City.
But Albert’s goals for the future were left unfulfilled. He was shot and killed July 5, 2020 around 17th and Wharton in Point Breeze, one of eight people who lost their lives to gun violence over the Fourth of July weekend in Philadelphia. Police have not made any arrests.
Albert was Oddess’ first child, born July 19, 1992 when she was 18 years old. His father was Albert Thomas Lee Sr. Having Albert changed her life drastically.
“I was in my senior year of high school and thinking about college, but I had to stop all of that once I became a mom,” she said. “It matured me a lot, made me more independent. Albert was a joy from day one.”
Albert was goofy and silly as a child, but he was also respectful and caring, and he took on his role of big brother with gusto. He was always willing to help Oddess with her younger kids, Rashawn, Naje and Gianni. They looked up to him as a role model.
In school, Albe enjoyed English and reading the most. He graduated from Mastery Charter School’s Thomas Campus in South Philly in 2010, then enrolled at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. After completing his freshman year there, he transferred to Kutztown.
He formed a tight friendship with a group of five other students who were also from Philly, and they remain in close contact with Oddess to this day.
Albert was bubbly and loved to have fun, and he especially enjoyed playing video games and listening to music, but he knew when to take things seriously. He and Oddess had a great bond and she considers him her very best friend.
Earlier this year, Albert passed the test required to join the local electrician’s union and he was scheduled to start training, but COVID put those plans on hold. He had other goals, too: He wanted to own a house in the outskirts of the city by the time he was 30, and he wanted to be married and settled before even thinking about having children. He had a serious girlfriend and planned a future with her.
Oddess wants Albert to be remembered as the guy who was on the right path.
“No matter what his circumstances were, or where he hung out, or who he was related to, he was a great kid,” she said. “He knew what he wanted. He was very intelligent, and he had a plan. He had so many hopes and dreams for the future.”
Albert is laid to rest at Friends Southwest Burial Ground in Upper Darby.
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for Albert’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Date: 2020-07-05
Location: 1300 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA
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