Warren Francis Lee

WARREN FRANCIS LEE, PHD October 23, 1924 - November 9, 2006 At the age of 82, historian and resident of Hercules, Warren F. Lee passed away. He was born in 1924 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. He graduated from Phillipsburg High School in 1943, earned a BA in History and International Affairs at Lafayette College in 1951, earned a MA in International Relations at Lehigh University in 1952 and earned a PhD in History at the University of New Mexico in 1974. From 1940-1952, he was a clerk for the Central Railway Company of New Jersey in the Lehigh and Susquehanna Division. During WWII he served in the army from 1943-1946 as a medic in the European Theater. From 1951 up to the time he died he experienced a full and varied career in higher education at several Colleges and Universities including the University of New Mexico, the University of Albuquerque and Chapman University in Concord, CA. After his retirement from the University of Albuquerque in 1988, he was a Research Associate in history at UC, Berkeley where he studied the 12 mile-WWII Richmond shipping yards railway for wartime workers in the Albany-Cordonices Village. This work resulted in a book, co-authored with his wife, Catherine Lee, of a chronology entitled "A Selective History of the Cordornices - University Village, the City of Albany and Environs". Warren lived in the Albany Village while researching the book and contributed tremendously to the community. He provided history classes for the staff and ground crew where he earned the title of Professor of the Yard. Among other books, Warren and Catherine also wrote "Down Along the Old Bel-Del", "A Chronology of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad Company and the Region through Which It Operated". At the time of his death, they were in the final editing stages of "The Militant Re-constructionists in Metropolitan London, 1880-1914". He is survived by his brother, James Lee and sister, Muriel (Betty) Pipperata both in New Jersey, his wife of 54 years, Catherine T. Blackton Lee; his 8 children, Barbara Herrea, Geraldine Lee-Widrig, Bradford Lee, Catherine Rael, Ernestine Lee-Hestir, Christine Lee-Milligan, Gregory Lee, Randolph Lee; 4 sons-in-law, Ralph Rael, Kevin Hestir, Richard Milligan, Thomas Widrig; 11 grandchildren, Paulette Herrera, Erin Hestir, Robin Hestir, Cynthia Stoneking, Leonie Rael, Brian Rael, Stacey Rael, Eric Lee, Alexander Lee, Iris Milligan, Mathew Milligan; 1 great grandson, Martin Estevez and his cat, Scratch. A ceremony of remembrance will be held at Sunset View Chapel, 101 Colusa Ave., at Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito, CA, 510-525-5111 on Thursday, November 16th at 6:30 p.m. The family prefers donations in his name to the Lee College Fund for his two grandchildren, Alex and Eric, who he adopted and raised or to the Lee Albany Village Historic Fund. Both funds are held at The Mechanics Bank, 279 Arlington Blvd., Kensington, CA 94707, 510-527-2223.