David E. Lee

David Edwin Lee, 67, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at St. James Lutheran Church in Mason City, with Pastor Sid Bohls officiating. Visitation will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the night prior on Tuesday, January 20, at Major Erickson Funeral Home. Memorials may be directed to the family.

To watch David's service live, click here: Memorial Service of David Lee

David was born on March 4, 1958 to Donald Edwin and Glennis (Clipperton) Lee, the second of five children. The son of a barber and a home health aide, David was a quiet yet fiercely curious child. He absorbed knowledge and solved problems at his own pace, eager to learn how things work by opening them up and finding out for himself. As early as elementary school, David was a tinkerer, taking apart his grandfather’s watch and putting it back together all on his own. By the time he reached high school, David was beginning to delve into the world of jewelry, making pieces in his basement while assisting at jeweler’s shops in town, absorbing any knowledge and skills they were willing to impart to him. At 16, David came into possession of a 1972 Triumph Spitfire. The car became a lifelong companion to him, and he cared for it with passion and reverence for the following five decades, right up until his passing.

David’s skilled hands and mind grew with him into adulthood. Entirely self-taught, he opened Golden Touch Jewelry in 1985. Later he would attain the title of Certified Master Bench Jeweler through Jewelers of America—the first jeweler in Iowa to do so. A nickname caught on amongst his family: “Mister Wizard,” for his ability to fix or make anything he set his mind to. David’s skill in crafting jewelry was matched by his skill in making the right tools for the right job, and his incredible attention to detail and to ensuring tasks were completed the right way, no matter how long it took to do so, served him well every day. In 2001, David closed his retail gallery and founded David Lee Jeweler in order to focus on honing his craft to an even higher degree. Above all, David loved what he did. He told his children, “Find a job where you don’t work to live—you live to work.” Truly, throughout his long career as a jeweler, David did not work a day in his life.

As David’s life was blessed with children, he made sure to pass on his own inquisitive nature to them. David’s children found their father to be calm, collected, and encouraging of whatever pursuit caught their attention. When presented with problems, David would help his children work through them the same way he would, creating teachable moments wherever he could. “Mister Wizard” was not absent at home, either—David helped build a treehouse for the kids out of scrap lumber and his own ingenuity.

David’s reserved shell hid a brilliantly vibrant personality, and expansive interests and hobbies. David was an excellent chef, with a penchant for spice of all varieties. He could be found in the kitchen working on dishes from all over the world—whether Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, or otherwise, David could whip up anything from banh mi to heaping portions of curry and pho. One year, tired of the standard fare, David served up Indian food for Christmas.

Outside of the kitchen, David would delve into his pursuits with the intense curiosity he had carried with him since childhood. He was a member of the Pyrotechnics Guild International and loved crafting fireworks with the same delicate skill he employed in his jeweler’s workshop. He spent a great deal of time restoring his Victorian house to as close to its original glory as possible. He assisted the local community theaters with set-building and special effects. He was delighted by things as wide-ranging as fighter jets and solar eclipses. And, wherever possible, he dove into his work while wearing a tie—even when mowing the lawn under the midsummer sun. Although deeply missed, while mourning his loss we carry David’s legacy with us in every jewel he touched, every piece he ever crafted, and in every problem we solve.

David Lee is survived by his wife, Aimee Lee; his sons, Christopher, Alexander (Tara), and Ben (Scott) Lee; stepchildren, Caden (Mckanzie) and Morgan Lovik; grandchildren, Carson, Grayson, and Amaya; and siblings, Marja Fletchall, Dennis Lee, Beth Rhodes, and Rebecca Lucas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Glennis Lee.