Richard (Dick) C. Lee
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Richard C. (Dick) Lee, of Bozeman, MT, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2020, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was born in Seattle, WA, on August 30, 1940, the only child of Clyde L. and Marion (Williams) Lee. He grew up in Billings, MT, attended Billings Senior High School, and graduated from The University of Montana in 1963, with a degree in music education. Also that year, he married his loving wife of fifty-seven years, Rosemary Mitchell, of Buchanan, MI. Dick accepted a teaching position in Sacramento, CA, where they raised three children. After retirement in 1998, they moved to Montana, where they lived happily first in Virginia City and then in Bozeman.
As a high school teacher, he taught music, English, drama, and computer science. He was an excellent teacher, fondly remembered by many students as recently as his 80th birthday.
Music always played a large part in Dick's life. He played string bass, sang in various church choirs from a young age, and directed one in Sacramento. He also sang with barbershop choruses, including the Chord Rustlers in Bozeman.
Dick was a member and deacon at First Presbyterian Church of Bozeman, sat on various community boards through the years, and belonged to Bozeman Sourdough Lions Club. His hobbies included playing bridge, fishing, cooking, reading, and traveling?especially cruising.
Family always came first with Dick, and he will be remembered by all who knew him as a cheerful, positive person, and a conscientious man of great integrity. He was a loving husband and father who encouraged his children to be decent, loving, thoughtful, and ambitious, and he was very proud of them.
He is survived by his wife, Rosemary, sons Doug (Teri) and Steve (JoAnn), daughter Kathy (Dale) Woodford, grandchildren Courtney (Jason) Moore, Amy Lee, Jordan Lee, Julia Lee, Sidney and Trevor Knudsen, Alaina Lee, Claire Woodford, and baby great-grandson Maddox Moore?all of CA and WA state. Also surviving is a favorite cousin, Bobbi Easley of Phoenix, AZ.
Cremation has taken place and a virtual celebration of Dick's life will be held from First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, October 27th, 2020, at 8 pm Mountain Time.
Contributions may be made in Dick's memory to Sourdough Lions Club, c/o Wayne Gibson, 1201 Highland Blvd. #D-109, Bozeman, MT, 59715, to Hospice of Bozeman Health, c/o Bozeman Health Foundation, 931 Highland Blvd., Ste. 3200, Bozeman, MT 59715, or to a favorite charity. Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com