Walter Harold Lee, Jr.

Walter Harold Lee, Jr., 79 passed away on June 13, 2014 at home after a short battle with lung cancer. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines, Iowa. Memorial services will be held at Union Park Baptist Church, E. 9th and Arthur Ave, Des Moines, Iowa, at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Burial will be at North River Cemetery, Elk Horn St., in rural Warren County.

Walter Harold Lee, Jr., was born on September 1, 1934 the oldest of six children to Walter Sr. and Mary Lee. After high school, he served two years in the Army. Returning to Des Moines, he worked at Wallace Homestead Publications for 24 years until they closed and then worked for Maytag Mfg. in Newton where he retired after 17 years.

Harold learned auto mechanics and body work at an early age working with his dad. Keeping family cars in running condition took up a lot of his spare time and there was usually a car in the Lee driveway with its hood up at any given day through the years. No challenge was too great for him to tackle! Harold could build or fix almost anything, since new was never an option in his world!!!

Following retirement at 70 years of age, he taught himself to program and fix computers and spent hours downloading movies, and putting family pictures onto CDs . He and his brother Don spent hours discussing computer problems. Harold also had a lifetime love for model airplanes. He built and flew remote control planes and entered many competitions throughout the Midwest. He belonged to the Des Moines Modelaires for years and most recently belonged to the Newton Sky Hawks where he tried to fly at least every month, even in the winter if weather permitted.

Harold enjoyed classic cars and was rebuilding a 1966 Chevy Impala Super Sport Convertible from the frame up and just had the ragtop left to install. His other enjoyment was riding motorcycles and he wanted just one more ride with his friend John. His first date with Martie was on his 1955 Harley Davidson and it was her first ride. Needless to say, she was hooked on him and motorcycles and they enjoyed many rides together. He passed this passion on to Dean who enjoys both activities as well.

A diehard Mash 4077 and John Wayne fan, he had every movie made and enjoyed watching them over and over and usually put on just to relax and fall asleep. We didn’t even need the volume on because we had seen them so many times that we knew the dialogue so well. Nona and Davi shared this love of MASH with him.

As any friend or family can tell you, Harold loved to talk and had an opinion on just about any subject you could bring up and he enjoyed a lively discussion.

Harold’s best day was spending it with family, quietly encouraging and enjoying their lives and experiences.

Harold is survived by his wife of 47 years, Martie; son, Dean; daughter, Nona; grandchildren, Amber (Travis) Chapman, Justin (Tricia) Lee, Kaytlin Lee (Greg Lambert), Davi Dowell, Andria Vannoni; great grandchildren, Joshua and Harleigh Lee, Jayce Lambert, Piper Chapman; sisters, Jane Knierm of Altoona, Loretta Kisch of Moberly, Missouri, and Carol Tilotta of Des Moines; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by daughter, Rayma; parents, Walter and Mary; sister, Virginia Beetner; and brother, Donald.

His presence in our lives will continue to be felt and we will miss him everyday.

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