In Memory of William Harold Lee
Today we remember
…William H. Lee
… William Harold Lee
…My Dad.
I’m Will, 1 of 4 sons to have shared time under his tutelage.
Rick welcomed you.
Michael will be giving a special tribute to Dad later in the program.
Norman, Dad’s third son, passed away at the age of 3 after surgery failed to correct
congenital heart problems. Norman sleeps as he awaits a joyful reunion with his father in
heaven.
Those close to Dad knew of the difficult times after Norman died. Dad had made the final
decision to proceed with Norman’s unsuccessful surgery. Yet, drawing inspiration from the
pain of his son’s early death, Dad handled his own pending death with greater ease.
Dad’s doctors marveled at his strength of character and each learned the root of that strength
- his unwavering faith in God and the chance of rejoining his family in heaven. I think he
particularly looked forward to joining his young son, Norman, who was afforded such a short
time with his father.
Those who knew Dad best called him “Bill”.
… Well except us kids.
To us kids, Dad was “Dad.”
… To our friends, Dad was Mr. Lee.
Dad was the coolest father in the bunch.
… He made being a kid easy.
My friends often asked about Dad.
… Quite a compliment!
To his family, Dad grew up “Billy Boy”.
… A name his Aunt’s called him to the day they died.
To his nieces, nephews and their children he was “Uncle Bill”.
To his grandchildren he was “Grandpa”.
My children called Dad “Grandpa Lee” because he shared the Grandpa title with their
mother’s father, Bob Wood.
Grandpa Bob (”Pop” to me), your regular visits with Dad brought him much joy. You and Dad
shared something special besides your love for the grandchildren. Dad admired and shared
your unshakable faith in God and zest for life.
Dad asked that we not have a funeral, but understood we would want to celebrate his life.
Modern medicine says the person sleeping can hear you. Dad sleeps a more permanent
sleep today and medicine would likely speculate that he can’t hear us today. It is now a
matter of theology whether Dad can hear us or not, and a matter best left to faith. But should
Dad be able to hear us, let us thank him for being such a loving and charitable man.
Dad would not want us to make too big a fuss about him, because that’s how Dad was.
I think Dad would be happy though if we were to recall the joy that his entire family, his two
work careers, and his church-family gave him.
Recalling a few memories that many of us have of him, to let him guide us just one more time,
is not such a bad idea either.
Most will remember Dad’s quick smile and equally quick wit, his audacious sneezes, the
peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches and well simply put his kind heart.
Here is the rest of the story …
He:
1. Cooked and collected recipes (and not just after the divorce)
2. Loved cars (designing, driving, buying)
3. Hiked and Explored (France, London, Civil War Sites)
4. Loved his Voiglander (German Camera) and taking photographs
5. Loved doing slide shows
6. Favored old buildings
7. Walked in European gardens
8. Sketched (especially cars)
9. Scrap-booked from 1945 on (before the current craze)
10. Read
11. Did crossword puzzles everyday
12. Dogs: Norwegian Elkhounds (his first), German Shepherds, Irish Setters and
Dobermans
13. Coins a hobby started on his first tour of duty in Germany and delayed until retirement.
14. Collected stamps.
Dad’s journey started on April 3, 1926. Born to a young William E. Lee and Alice Peterson
(Lee), Dad was the eldest of three children. He was joined by Brother Bob (born February 28,
1927) and Sister Donna Jean (born April 3, 1928).
Brother Tom later joined the family, the son of Iva Mae Krause (Lee) and William E. Lee.
William E., his father, had married for a second time.
Sister Donna Jean, Aunt Donna Jean to us, is here today and it brings us special joy having
watched Dad and her living together for the last 15 years. There is a long tradition of family
coming together throughout their lives. You and Dad have reminded us that unconditional
love still has a place in this world and that family matters.
When Dad was young he was an avid bicyclist. Dad often crossed into Minneapolis from St.
Paul and back, going as far as his legs would take him. Dad’s adventurous spirit helped him
adjust to be living and growing up with several different families, in several different homes.
In the middle years of Dad’s childhood, he spent special time being raised by his Grandma
Lee, along with his Cousin Arlene, Aunt Violet’s daughter. The relationships that developed
during these times would later in life encourage Dad to move to the San Francisco Bay area
to live and work for a while after WWII. Aunt Violet (Lee) and Uncle Donald Rugg would invite
Dad to stay with them during his exploratory years right after WWII.
Cousin Arlene called to wish all well, but her own health restricts her from joining us. Her son
Fred Davis celebrates with us today and we thank you Fred for singing and reminding us of
the classic sounds that Dad so enjoyed.
Some of Dad’s youthful history may be lost forever. What will never be lost is his enduring
love for the family that helped raise him. Few in our generation will remember, let alone
understand the difficult times of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Dad was raised by two mothers, his grandmother, and several aunts and uncles. He often
spoke of valuable lessons from his Grandpa Lee.
Dad spoke of outside toilets and crumbled Sears’ magazines. He spoke of hard work, picking
fruit on family and neighbors farms. He spoke of tough times, yet he took away the best of
these times and raised us to appreciate all that we had been given. He truly belonged to a
generation that we must never lose sight of. The Greatest Generation by the standard our
father laid down. I believe it so.
Dad graduated from Yakima Valley Academy, Granger, Washington, in June 1944 while living
with his Aunt Della and Uncle Harland Petersen. What special times these were for Dad.
Dad especially enjoyed these times because he was able to live with his “double cousins”.
While Dad took great pains to explain that his double cousins were biologically almost
brothers and sisters, it was clear that biology had little to do with his deep and enduring
affection for Betty Lee, Doug, Jo Ann and Anice-Viola.
What are double cousins you ask? Well here is how Dad explained it. Aunt Della was his
father’s sister and Uncle Harland his mother’s brother. Apparently the heartlands of
Minnesota grew more than corn and packed more than meat in the 1920’s, it also encouraged
close family ties between otherwise unrelated neighbors. A Lee brother and sister married a
Peterson sister and brother. Confused? I sure was for quite a while, until Dad taught me
everything I ever wanted to know about Genealogy.
After High School, Dad’s life went like this:
The Army Air Corp Period (2 Years)
September 1944
- Drafted to Army Air Corp right after of High School.
Thru November 1946
- Stationed in the European Theater Occupation Army
- Certified to drive Light Trucks and Jeeps
- Drove for the Special Operations Command
- Pulled Special Guard Duty watching Prisoners
- Discharged from the Army Air Corp as WWII Veteran
The Post-War/Reservist Period (2 ½ Years)
January 1947
- One semester at Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska,
Thru June 1947
using Veterans Benefits (April 1947)
July 1947
Thru Sept. 1947
- Completed Summer Reserve Training at Topeka Army
Air Field, Topeka, Kansas
Oct. 1947
Thru Dec. 1948
- Invited to California and the San Francisco Bay Area
by Aunt Violet and Uncle Donald
- Joined the Union
- Collected Veterans Benefits (April 1948)
- Drove Ambulance in Richmond for James Runjan
January 1949
Thru May 1949
- Trained and worked as a Banker in Minneapolis, MN,
using Veterans Benefits (April 1949)
Army Medical Corp Period (19 ½ years)
That wondering spirit I mentioned earlier reappeared in 1949. Coupled with his desire to work
in the medical profession, Dad re-enlisted in the military, this time with the Army Medical
Corp. Twenty-four years later he retired a Master Sergeant with a solid reputation as a skilled
medical technologist. He also developed a solid reputation as a counselor to younger Army
personnel.
Like most Army personnel, Dad’s Army career took him from station to station: from
Wurzburg, Germany, to Monterrey, CA, to Fort Huachuca, AZ, to San Antonio, TX, to Verdun,
France, to Washington, DC.
It was during this enlistment that Dad met Mom in Wurzburg. Dad not only fell in love with
Mom, but quickly adopted her family. He enjoyed a special relationship with his father in-law
and sister in-laws.
Later when stationed in France, Dad often sent Mom and us boys on the train from France to
Germany to be with our German family. He continued to encourage us to stay in touch with
our German family, even pushing us boys to travel to Germany this summer while he wrestled
with Pancreatic Cancer.
June 3, 1949
- Enlisted in the Army
June 13, 1953
- Married Mom
September 16, 1954
- Willi Born
October 20, 1955
- Rick Born
June 6, 1957
- Norman Born
June 29, 1963
- Michael Born
September 30, 1968
- Retired from the Army
Second Career Period
Dad was recruited out of the Army to work for the University of California Davis, Hospital and
their pioneering Cardiovascular Surgery team. Retiring from the Army at the end of
September 1968, he moved the family to Carmichael, California..
Dad’s affinity for his cousins was doubly noticed when we moved to California. So many new
names for us to remember: Cousin Pat, Cousin June, Cousin Dale, Cousin Manny, Cousin
Ethel, Cousin Gayle, Cousin Audrey, and well …cousins everywhere …aunts everywhere
…uncles everywhere. Dad took special efforts to take us to the “Aunt Hill”, or what many in
the family more favorably called the “Ranch”, to introduce us to the family we missed while
being Army brats. Dad was so energized being with his aunts, uncles and cousins. The fever
was easy to catch.
Before Dad knew it we boys grew up and married. He was happy to finally have the
daughters he wanted. Dawne, Kim and Kate …thank you for your love and support. You
truly are the daughters Dad always wanted but had to wait for. I’m convinced that you 3 will
be the first of us he will greet in the Hereafter.
Dad’s had a special love for his grand children. Michelle, Robert, Michael, Amanda, Kathryne
and Franklin, your Grandpa lives on in his words and the counsel he left you. You are the
new stewards of Grandpa’s passion for life. His words were, “I’m happy to be in God’s hands
now.” Charge on, never lose faith in God.
Ever the Private Man, Dad’s passions went beyond his family, careers and cars.
Dad loved his church-family and community.
To his church-family he was the strongly opinionated, but loving man who sat at the back of
the church often with his Oxygen tanks in tow. He spoke often of his rebaptism and the
church family that took him back. If I were to be allowed any say in this matter, it would be to
say Dad never left the church to begin with. His acts of quite charity are to be admired and
emulated.
To many a hitchhiker, Dad was simply the nice stranger who drove 20 minutes out of his way
to get them to their ultimate destination instead of just taking them down the street a block or
two.
To hundreds of non-profit charities he was a quite donor who regularly sent checks often for
no other reason than they had asked for help.
Dad is a special soul. He is a complex combination of personal introspection and unabashed
counselor. He gave far more gifts than he ever accepted. He cherished family lineage, yet
passionately embraced all souls.
Dad was 80 years old when he passed away and it is no secret he fought through the last
years with absolute grace and dignity.
When the doctors said “Cancer”,
Dad said “no tears from anyone” … “let’s do what we normally do
He refused to live what he called “a thousand deaths”
…”one death was just fine by him and it would come when God wanted”
…until then let’s live.”
A Son’s Goodbye:
Dad,
…Sleep while God plays out his plan.
…Wait
…Patiently wait, for I pray that we may join you in heaven.
God bless you.
We love you.