H. Bruce Lee

H. Bruce Lee, 86, of Easton, MD, passed away at the Talbot Hospice House on February 4, 2015. Born 11/16/1928 on Tilghman Island, he was the son of the late William Ronald and Edith Long Lee. He attended schools in Tilghman, Cecil County, and Baltimore, leaving school in the ninth grade. Despite his lack of formal education, Bruce, who was very mechanically inclined, became a successful carpenter, plumber, electrician, and draftsman, having built many homes and additions to homes in the mid-shore area. His early working career began at the age of seven, assisting with milk delivery. In his teens, he worked as a cashier at an A & P store in Baltimore, at a machine shop/blacksmith shop on Tilghman, and at Noble Ford Rebuilding in Easton. In his later teens, he began dredging on the “Ida May,” a skipjack. When the skipjack was sold, he began pound net fishing and lawn mowing. On November 20, 1948, he married the former Margaret Delores Elliott from Tilghman, and they eventually moved to Easton. He then worked at Adkins Lumber Company, Koester Bread as a deliveryman, and then at Suburban Propane for 16 years, where he functioned as a serviceman. To supplement his income, he installed heating systems, and then began building homes for speculation. In 1971, at the age of 42, he left Suburban Propane and became self-employed in construction, where he worked until retirement at the age of 65. He always credited “Mutzie,” his wife, with her support in the success of his business. Bruce loved to travel. He built a pick-up style camper that looked as good as any factory built camper, and traveled extensively throughout the United States, visiting 47 of the contiguous states. He also enjoyed trips to Hawaii and Nova Scotia. Bruce’s passion was fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and the Choptank River, passing many hours of trolling and terrorizing the local Rockfish and Bluefish. He took great pride in his boat, “Pop-Pop’s Toy,” which was custom-built for him. In his retirement years, he built the models of several boats, including the “Ida May” and “Pop-Pop’s Toy.” Bruce and Mutzie were married for 52 years until her death in 2001. Together, they raised two children, David Bruce Lee, Sr., and Patricia Lee Phillips, both of Easton. Besides his children, he is survived by daughter-in-law, Sharon VandeVisser Lee, and son-in-law, Reggie Phillips; five grandchildren, Dawn (Steve) Andrews of Easton, Warrant Officer David B. Lee, Jr. USMC (Meredith) of Jacksonville, NC, Joe (Debbie) Phillips of Trappe, Julie (Jim) Corson of Easton, and Kasey (Rick) Jones of Easton; step-grandsons Rodney, Ronnie, and Travis Allen; 13 great-grandchildren – Alex, Berkley, Matthew, Colby, and William Andrews; Brady and Georgia Lee; Benjamin and Nicole Phillips; Parker and Caroline Corson; Kennedy Grove; and Jackson Jones – and 5 step-grandchildren. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Besides his parents and his wife, he was predeceased by a brother, William Lee, previously of Phoenix, AZ. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, February 15, at 11 o’clock at Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., in Easton, where friends may call one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at Woodlawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Talbot Hospice Foundation, Inc., 586 Cynwood Drive, Easton, MD 21601, in appreciation for the excellent care which he received while there.

H. Bruce Lee

November 16, 1928 - February 4, 2015