James Lee

Husband, dad, grandpa, great grandpa, great-great-grandpa, brother, uncle and friend. Golfer, craftsman, artist, hunter, jokester, James Richard Lee was born in the family home in Libby on Oct. 20, 1936, to Anna (Sporich) and Richard (Dick) James Lee, one of eight children. He passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015. 

Jim married his best friend and the love of his life, Susan (LeDuc) on Sept. 14, 1968, but his six new children liked to say “we all got married” that day. He was so very proud of his kids, 15 grandkids and 27 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.  

Jim graduated in 1954 from Libby High School and in 1962 from Montana State University with a B.S. in Industrial Arts and remained a lifetime Bobcat fan. He put himself through college working for the Zonolite Mine between college quarters. Jim tried his hand in many endeavors from tree planting for the Forest Service to topping trees in Oregon for a logging company.  Following college he was employed by Wentzel Engineering working on various construction projects in the northwest, returning to Libby when his employer became a contractor for survey work on the Libby Dam.  

When marriage and family settled him down, Jim joined the Forest Service in 1970 and began a 24-year-career that took him and Sue to the Panhandle Forest in north Idaho, the Mendicino in northern California and then the Arapahoe-Roosevelt in northern Colorado. Retiring in 1994, Jim and Sue returned to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Jim enjoyed many hobbies, especially golf. He created beautiful stained glass masterpieces, hand-crafted furniture and focused on home improvement projects.  

Jim is survived by his wife of 47 years, Sue, and by his daughters and sons-in-law Cindy and Bob Carlson, Teri and Chris Noble, Martha and Bob Scott and by his son Brian Lee and Marilyn Fowler. His grandchildren are Jim and Heather Rowland, Darin and Sarah Rowland, Mikael and Kevin Olson, Christa and Jeff Bradbury, Jessica Lee and Brett Rundle, Gina and Brady Black, Tony Lee, Ashley Rebal, Johnny and Heike Lebron-Cruz, Steven and Sarah Lee, Kelly and Shad Haugen, Tracy and Chris Bache, Dara and Brad Lopez, Taylor Scott, and Mattie Scott.  He is also survived by sister Marge Konen and her husband Bob; brother Ed Vukelich and his wife Phyllis; sister Millie Duton and sister-in-law Nancy Lee; 27 great-grand-children and one great-great-grandson. Numerous nieces and nephews also survive. Classmates from Libby days are remembered as family, too.  

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Bob and Jess and sisters Fran and Judy. It was a great heartbreak to be preceded by sons Steve and Ralph and by son-in-law Rick Salvhus and daughter-in-law Marianne Lee. Another great loss was his friend Bruce Ruckman.  

Graveside services will be held in Libby on Oct. 10, 2015 at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon at the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall. A celebration of his life will be held In Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at the Coeur d’Alene Municipal Golf Course on Oct. 8 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. for friends to gather and share memories.