Donald B. Lee

Quiet, reserved and logical are trademark qualities that friends and family might use to describe Donald B Lee. Donald was an intuitive person. He was the type of person who could comfortably get lost in his thoughts, someone who had tremendous problem solving abilities. Always conscientious and focused on details, Donald was a person who loved to imagine the possibilities of life.

Donald was born on September 3, 1946 in Monterey Park, California. He was the son of Gar Joon (Dad) & Foon Ying (Mom). He was raised in Hollywood & Glendale California. Donald did not have to surround himself with people to be content. He was the type of person who enjoyed being alone rather than be part of a large crowd. He could be content for hours in some activity or be lost in his own imagination.

Donald was adaptable and had good listening skills which he would use to his advantage when it came to family life. He grew up with 3 siblings. He had two younger sisters, Linda & Sandy and one younger brother David. He rarely shied away from family discussions. He would debate with his siblings but if it turned into an argument, Donald would often turn it into an agreement. In general, the family got along well and shared many memorable experiences.

In grade school, Donald gravitated toward others who shared similar interests and enjoyed academics more than physical activity. He was always curious about what made things work, and he would excel at the things that called more for "brain" power. He delighted in the projects that required planning, exploration and solution. Donald's memorable achievements included helping his dad with their laundry business. As was evident by those who knew him, his most fun was to be found in books and in research.

During high school, Donald excelled at the challenge of learning and was especially good at taking tests and exams. He could delight more in problem solving than in the more routine school work. As long as the intellectual challenges kept coming, Donald was happy. He graduated from Hoover High School in 1964. His favorite class in high school was auto shop.

Although Donald had a small group of friends, they were a close knit group and he enjoyed spending time with them. He liked to be able to engage them in discussions on the many topics he found interesting. Those who knew him well might describe Donald as a good listener who could bring out a type of understanding from those around him that even surprised them. He was passionate in his commitments and would never intentionally hurt anyone. Later in life, he became friends with Steve & Jim.

Donald finally found connection and fulfillment when on March 21, 1970; he exchanged wedding vows with Patricia Ann Mercer at the First Baptist Church of Glendale, California. Patricia was influential in Donald's life and brought a dimension of emotion and feelings to a man who mostly lived in his intellect. Donald grew, blossomed and became more balanced because of their love and compassion.

Donald was a hard worker and a good provider who loved his family even though he wasn’t very demonstrative. Donald was blessed with 2 children, he has one son, Danny and one daughter, Christine. They will be blessed with one that will be arriving in April, Isabella. Donald's sense of fun was often unleashed in his puns and witty, intelligent quips. It delighted him when the children would banter back and forth with him in this brainy exchange of mind contests. The children always knew how much Donald loved them.

Finding the right type of job can be a challenge for anyone, but that was especially true for Donald Lee. He needed to find a career that would challenge him. Fortunately, he found a career path where he could use his natural intellect and his natural critical thinking skills. His primary occupation was Car Salesman. He was employed for 10 years as a glass installer for automobiles, he also worked nights doing deliveries and pick-ups for banks. Donald was a dedicated and valued employee and was respected by his colleagues for his ability to grasp and understand difficult concepts.

Hobbies were more than fun for Donald because he challenged himself to learn the theory behind the actual activity. Knowing how things worked was more incentive than just performing and completing the task. His favorite pursuits were fixing up luxury vehicles, building model cars, cropping and photo shopping family & car photos on the computer.

Donald found great pleasure by relaxing and watching sports on TV or in person. He was an avid student of the game and enjoyed comparing his ideas and choices with what actually happened during the game. Even though he generally would keep his feelings to himself, Donald would often use athletic events and sports as an outlet. Recreational sports included billards, bowling & darts. He also enjoyed just being a sports fan. Tops on his list were Nascar, Poker tournaments, billards, basketball & baseball.

Donald was not a man who did things because he expected a reward in return. In fact, accepting recognition from others was sometimes difficult for him. People who served with Donald recognized his quiet strength and his practical, logical, and discerning abilities. Still, he was awarded numerous honors throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included a trophy for his 1960 Candyapple red Ford Thunderbird for its paint job.

Donald wasn't as fond of dealing with the actual organizing of vacations, he was more than happy to go on the vacation and let someone else do the itinerary. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas & Palm Springs.

Donald especially enjoyed time with his pets. He could spend hours in private thought, and his faithful companions would just sit by his side or in his lap. One of Donald's favorites was Princess, a cat. His family was rounded out by a parakeet named Jabber Jaws, a goldfish named Charlie, a cockatail named peek-a-boo. He also had several other cats named ginger, pepper, teddy, peaches and cuddles.

Donald planned well for retirement so when it finally arrived in 1990, he was well prepared. He worked out many of the details in advance so that he could enjoy the time and not have to worry. His new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. In retirement, he found new pleasure in fixing up luxury vehicles.

Donald B Lee passed away on April 5, 2010 in the comfort of his own home in Las Vegas. Donald fought a brave battle against cancer for over 2 years. He is survived by his loving wife Pat, his daughter Christine and son in law Fidiam, his son Danny and daughter in law Maria, sisters, Linda & Sandy, brother David, nieces Loni, Mia, Cynthia & Kellyann, Nephews Ken & Justyn. Services were held at Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Those who knew and loved Donald will miss his quiet gentleness, his curiosity and his ability to often turn work situations into fun experiences. He leaves all those who knew him with many wonderful memories.