Harry Lee

Harry Saidler Lee, age 90, passed away peacefully at his home in Wichita on August 16, 2015. He was born December 21, 1924 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was the son of Henry Saidler Lee and Gertrude Morris Lee. Harry’s father, an immigrant from Glasgow, Scotland, moved the family from Oklahoma City to Kansas City, Detroit, West Hartford, and finally Minneapolis, where he spent most of his young life.Harry was always interested in all things mechanical, including trolleys, steam engines, streetcars, trains, cars, and planes. In fact, this love of mechanics, combined with a penchant for analyzing and fixing things, led him to become an aeronautical engineer. Harry chose to study at the University of Minnesota. Like so many of his generation, Harry’s education was interrupted by World War II. He began his service in the Army Air Corps on November 24, 1943. He trained as a gunner and bombardier for the B-24 bomber. Harry’s abilities were quickly recognized and he was selected to be a navigator. This position was a dangerous, complex job that engaged his math, physics, and astronomy skills. He had just been selected for top-secret radar training when the war ended. Harry completed his Air Corps service as a second lieutenant in 1946. He returned to Minneapolis where he earned his degree in June 1948. Harry was an active member of the youth group at the First Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was there that he met and courted Geraldine Lorraine Croft, formerly of Fort Dodge, Iowa. On June 17, 1949, Harry and Gerry were married and began their sixty-six loving, joy-filled years together. Harry started his aeronautical engineering career at Curtiss Wright in Columbus, Ohio. He soon accepted a position with Boeing Aircraft and moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1950. Harry stayed with Boeing for thirty-five years, retiring in June of 1985. He and Gerry remained in Wichita, where he continued the pursuit of his many interests, especially that of early Ford V-8 cars. Harry’s passion for his many hobbies made for a dynamic and interesting life for him and his family. He planned vacations and family visits so that he could pursue those interests, such as riding the last run of a narrow gauge railroad, caravanning in early Ford cars, or hunting an obscure junkyard for both common and rare Ford parts. He was a life-long member of the Early Ford V-8 Club of America, where fellow club members referred to him as the “walking encyclopedia” of early Ford V-8 automobiles. In fact, it was common for him to receive calls from people across the country seeking his expertise, but also those elusive car parts he was rumored to possess. Harry was a devoted family man, and an effective role model and mentor for his four daughters. He attended every school event, assisted with schoolwork, cheered at hot summer swim meets, and taught driving skills using his collectable cars. Harry had a real zest for life, and showed his family that happiness could be found by cultivating one’s innate curiosity. There is no doubt that his own all-consuming curiosity provided him great meaning and satisfaction throughout his life. Harry possessed a great sense humor. He always seemed able to interject a witty comment at just the right moment and in the most subtle of ways. It was not uncommon for his family and friends to find themselves immersed in gales of laughter, especially at the most awkward or mundane of times. His humor and easygoing, gentle demeanor allowed him to befriend everyone he met. Harry was beloved by his family, friends, and other car enthusiasts, and will be greatly missed by all. Harry is survived by his wife Gerry; four daughters: Carolyn Timken (Phil), North Newton, Kansas; Nancy DeCelles (Phil), Napa, California; Barbara Lee (Greg), Salem, Oregon; and Linda Bowlin (Scott), Shawnee, Kansas; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and one sister, Gertrude Nelson (Robert), Medford, Oregon.

Visitation

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm, Wednesday, August 19, 2015 Place: Broadway Mortuary Chapel
1147 S. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67211

Funeral Service

Time: 1:00pm, Thursday, August 20, 2015 Place: First Presbyterian Church
525 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67214

Burial

Time: 3:30pm, Thursday, August 20, 2015 Place: Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, KS
1244 E. 1st St., Newton, KS 67114

Memorials

Good Shepherd Hospice
7829 E. Rockhill, Ste. 403
Wichita, KS 67206

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