Brook Lee

Lee in 2009, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee

Place of Birth: Pearl City, Hawaii, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 8, 1971

Ethnicity: Hawaiian, Portuguese Madeiran, one quarter Korean, English, 1/32 Chinese, distant Irish

Brook Lee is an American actress, television host, model, and beauty queen. She was Miss Hawaii USA 1997, Miss USA 1997, and Miss Universe 1997.

She is the daughter of Antoinette and Benson Waldron Kealaokamalamalama Lee. Her Korean name is Lee Shi-nae (이시내). She is married to actor Tory Mell, with whom she has two children.

Her father is of one half Korean, seven sixteenths Hawaiian, and one sixteenth Portuguese, descent. Her mother is of one half Portuguese Madeiran, Hawaiian, English, one sixteenth Chinese, and distant Irish, ancestry. Some sources state that Brook is also of Dutch and French descent. It is not clear if these ancestries have been verified/documented.

Brook’s paternal grandfather was Henry Lee Euy Sun (alias Peter Cho Euy Sun, the son of Cho Bong Won and Yoon Ai In). Henry’s parents were Korean emigrants, from Kaesong and Incheon, respectively.

Brook’s paternal grandmother was Mary Wahineokalani Sylva (the daughter of John Kauilaholomakawehiikalani Sylva and Mary Mele Kapo Kekahuna). John’s paternal grandfather, Antone Sylva, was Portuguese. The rest of Brook’s grandmother’s ancestors were Hawaiian.

Brook’s maternal grandfather was Anthony Peter Gomes (the son of Manuel Gregory Gomes and Felicidad/Felicidade Pereira). Anthony was born on Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. All of his grandparents were Portuguese emigrants from Madeira.

Brook’s maternal grandmother was Beatrice Naleilehua Cockett (the daughter of Lt. Christopher Komanu Cockett and Louise Naleilehua Robinson). Beatrice was born on Oahu. Christopher was the son of George Kailua Cockett, whose father was of English, Irish, and one quarter Hawaiian, descent, and whose mother was of Hawaiian ancestry; and of Mary Hui Noble. Louise was the daughter of Henry Prever Robinson, whose father was born in London, England, and whose mother was of mixed European and Hawaiian descent; and of Pokini Naleilehua Aheong, whose father was from Ch’ao-An, China and whose mother was Hawaiian.

Sources: Genealogy of Brook Lee (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.bluenestling.com

Birth record of Brook’s maternal grandfather, Anthony Peter Gomes – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Brook’s maternal grandmother, Beatrice Naleilehua (Cockett) Gomes Kahanu – http://ulukau.org