Richard Edward Lee

Richard “Dick” Edward Lee (80) passed away on January 20,2023. He was a resident of Lake Ridge, VA at the time of his death. Dick was born September 29, 1942, in East Stroudsburg, PA to Howard Jay Lee and Elsie Cecilia (Fairclough) Lee. During his youth, he and his family lived in Augsburg, Germany and Verdun, France following his father’s military assignments. From youth to his early career, he was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America. Dick joined the U.S. Army on June 28, 1961 and served 20 years in both signals and human intelligence fields. Throughout his military career, he was stationed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia including Fort Dix, NJ; Ft. Devans, MA; Ft. Meade, MD; Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich, Germany; Monterey, CA; Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX; and Arlington Hall Station, VA. A graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, Dick was fluent in several languages including French, German, and Russian. During the Vietnam War, Dick was stationed in Bien Hoa, Zi Anh, and Nui Ba Denh and was assigned to Det. 2, 3rd Radio Research Unit to serve as a French and Vietnamese Voice Intercept Officer in direct support of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One). While serving at the National Security Agency (NSA) he met the love of his life, Beatrice (Hanley). They were married on February 15, 1969, and together they raised two daughters. Dick retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) on July 1, 1981. Following his retirement from the Army, Dick worked as a defense contractor until his retirement in 2011. Dick enjoyed fishing, playing cribbage and scrabble, hiking, woodworking, traveling, and spending time with his family. He was skilled in the restoration of antique tools. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, stepmother Gretl (Vlasack) Lee, and sister Sandra May. Dick is survived by his two daughters, Mary Ellen (John Smith, Springfield, VA) and Susan (Monte Metzger, Manhattan, KS), two grandchildren, a sister Janet Arnold, and a nephew and niece. A memorial service and inurnment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD, 21741-5014.

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Richard Edward Lee

September 29, 1942 - January 20, 2023