ROBERT A. LEE

LEE--Robert A., passed away on November 10, 2011, at the age of 94, in Lakewood, Washington. He died peacefully in his sleep with family members present. Born April 25, 1917, in Spokane, Washington, Bob was the younger of two sons of Mathilde B. and Sigurd H. Lee. The family moved to Portland, Oregon when Bob was two. There he attended Benson Polytechnic High School, where he began a lifelong career in journalism, serving as editor of the school paper and as a stringer for the Portland Oregonian. He enrolled in Reed College in 1934, but on the advice of his editor at the Oregonian transferred to the University of Oregon, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1938, majoring in English. In 1936, he met his future wife, Catherine Taylor, then a journalism student at University of Oregon. They married in 1941 and had three children. After graduation, Bob joined the Oregonian where he worked until 1960, first as a reporter and later as an editor. His stint at the Oregonian was interrupted by two years' service as a radio technician in the Navy during WWII. He was instrumental in founding the Portland Reporter, an independent daily paper, which was published from 1960 to 1964. In 1960 he joined the New York Times, and the family moved to Montclair, NJ. In 1962, the Times sent him to Los Angeles for the start-up of Western Edition, of which he became managing editor. The family returned east in 1964, where he worked for the Times until retiring in 1980, finishing his career as head of the make-up desk and associate news editor. Following retirement, Bob and Katy returned to Portland, where they enjoyed their life together until Katy's death in 2005 at the age of 85. During this period, the couple traveled extensively, to Europe, South America, Africa and Asia, as well making numerous trips to visit their children and grandchildren. Throughout his life, Bob was known for his kindness and compassion, his liberal politics, keen intelligence and wit. He was an avid golfer, an insightful student of history and politics, and lover of literature and the arts, regularly attending the theater, opera, and symphony both in New York and later in Portland. But most of all, he was devoted to his family and friends, and will be deeply missed by those whose lives he touched. He is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Fred Ostmann of Tacoma, WA; two sons and daughters-in-law, Daniel T. and Nelma Lee, of Portland, OR, and Robert S. and Laura Lee, of Houston, TX; three grandchildren, Dr. Heather Ostmann currently of Jacksonville, FL, Lilah Helton, of Seattle, WA, and Natalie Lee of Houston, TX; and great-granddaughter Stephanie Ann Despain, of Jacksonville, FL. He was predeceased by his wife Katy and brother Norman K. Lee of Boise, Idaho. A memorial service will be held in Portland, OR, on December 3. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oregon Food Bank P.O.Box 55370, Portland, OR 97238. ww.oregonfoodbank.org.