Paul Albert Lee

1931 - 2022

Dr. Paul Lee was born on September 20, 1931 in La Veta, Colorado and attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Paul married Charlene Marquardt in 1956 and had their daughter Jessica Phoebe Lee in 1963.Paul graduated from Harvard Divinity School with a bachelor's in Sacred Theology (STB) and P.h.D. under Paul Tillich. He was a Humanities assistant professor at MIT before coming to teach philosophy and religious studies at UCSC. He recruited Alan Chadwick start a garden and teach biodynamic farming methods on the campus.In 1970, Paul and Herb Schmidt, campus pastor, founded the University Services Agency which started the Whole Earth Restaurant, the UCSC Campus daycare center and many other service-based projects. The USA continues today. In 1973, Paul and Page Smith began many projects including; the first Homeless Shelter in Santa Cruz, the California Conservation Corps, the William James Association, and Penny University. They went on to work with the Santa Cruz homeless population and have been memorialized by naming the Paul Lee Loft and the Page Smith Community House, in their honor. In the early 80's, he was the first executive director of the Herb Trade Association.Paul served on many nonprofit corporation boards: Richard Alpert and Timothy Leary's International Federation for Internal Freedom, the Association of Faith Communities, and The Homeless Garden Project, which he founded. He was chair of the Romero Institute (formerly the Christic Institute). In addition to his community activity, Paul continued to be a ravenous philosopher and devoted theologian. One of Paul's last acts was to secure ongoing funding for Food Not Bombs. Paul wrote several books: the Quality of Mercy: Homelessness in Santa Cruz 1985-1992, Paul Tillich, the Meaning of Health, Florence the Goose: A True Story for Children of All Ages, A Moral Equivalent of War, and There is a Garden in the Mind, A Memoir of Alan Chadwick and the Organic Movement in California. Paul is survived by his beloved wife, Charlene, daughter, Jessica Phoebe Lee, grandchildren, Aero Jack Zajac and Phoebe Zajac, and great-grandchildren, Atlas and Alva. We hold in our hearts that Paul is reunited with his oldest granddaughter, Camille Hortense Zajac, who recently passed. A part of Charlene and Paul's spirit will forever reside in their summer home in Phelps Wisconsin. A memorial celebration of the life of Paul Lee will take place at the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Soquel on December 18, from 2 to 4 p.m.