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Lee Colee HAMILTON

1926 - 2017

Lee Colee HAMILTON obituary, 1926-2017, North Palm Beach, FL

BORN

1926

DIED

2017

FUNERAL HOME

Howard-Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation & Event Center

745 US Highway 1

North Palm Beach, Florida

Lee HAMILTON Obituary

HAMILTON, Lee Colee Lee Colee Hamilton, born Leanore Dippy in Philadelphia November 26, 1926, passed away July 03, 2017. Lee never campaigned for women's equal rights. She just took them. As early as grade school when a publisher offered a bicycle for the most magazine sales in Philadelphia, but excluded girls, Lee signed up under her brother's name and won the citywide contest. It launched a life-long love affair with work and its rewards. Upon America's entry into World War II, Lee's family moved to the then-tiny Orlando. At her first job there as a copywriter for a radio station, she discovered salesmen earned 15% commission. She sought permission to sell. Management laughed at herthere were no female sales reps! Determined, Lee waited for the height of Christmas advertising, then announced she was quitting, copy unwritten, unless allowed to sell. It worked. She changed her name to Lee so prospects would not know a woman was asking for an appointment. When a new manager came in and fired Lee on a trumped up charge, she simply refused to leave, reporting to work as usual, day-after-day until the manager himself was fired. Soon she was the top sales rep; then promoted to sales manager. Lee married TV station general manager, Donn R. Colee, Sr. and the couple who were recruited by MetroMedia, evaluated and managed TV stations from Kansas City to Washington, DC. In 1963, they returned to Florida, purchased WHEW Radio Station in West Palm Beach and opened a PR firm and ad agency in Palm Beach. Though the marriage ended in 1968, the business and genuine best friend relationship continued to the present. In 1973 Lee married Harry S. Hamilton, Sr. and changed careers, becoming an active partner in commercial real estate development and management of numerous properties and businesses. Lee and Harry, with varying partners, developed, owned and operated over three million square feet of commercial structures. Though Lee and Harry developed properties in Orlando, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tampa, and Ft. Lauderdale, most of their projects were in Palm Beach County. They forever changed the skyline of West Palm Beach with Northbridge Center, aka "The Darth Vader Building." Of all their investments, the Palm Beach Yacht Club held a special place in their hearts. Lee's Wesleyan College yearbook called her indefatigable. Her Madison Avenue competitors called her the Switch Pitch Queen. Friends called her the "Truth Fairy." Business associates called her an equaland that, she loved. She thrived on challenge and competition, which carried through to sports: bobsledding in the Swiss Alps, skydiving in Florida, and skin diving in the Bahamas. Lee loved boating, fishing, and diving in the summer, and in the winter Europe called, especially Paris and San Moritz. Lee was predeceased by her husband of 43 years Harry S. Hamilton, Sr., her brothers Dr. Ted Dippy and Dr. Roy Dippy. She is survived by her sister Adele Phillips (Orlando), brother Dr. Walter and Carol Dippy (Stuart), sisters-in-law Elizabeth Dippy (Astatula) and LuAnn Dippy (Orlando), her step children Larry and Asmah Hamilton (Australia), Robin and John Morrow (Santa Rosa Beach), and Sonny and Judy Hamilton (West Palm Beach). The family will receive friends at Howard-Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 754 US-1 North Palm Beach, FL 33408 on Thursday, July 13th at 4:30PM 6:30PM. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Research Center, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905 or TrustBridge Hospice, 5300 E. Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.

Published by The Palm Beach Post from Jul. 9 to Jul. 12, 2017.
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3 Entries

Shirley Colee

July 19, 2017

Remembering your great love story today and always.

Tracey Driscoll

July 9, 2017

You were a wonderful friend. I will miss your sense of humor, your help when our family needed it, getting us all together at Christmas each year & your smile...just a few of the things I will miss.

Liz Dippy

July 8, 2017

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Jul

13

Visitation

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Howard-Quattlebaum Funeral Home

754 US-1, North Palm Beach, FL

Funeral services provided by:

Howard-Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation & Event Center

745 US Highway 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408

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