James Allan Lee

A devoted husband, loving father, and proud grandfather, passed away on March 17, 2020.His last moments were spent in the presence of his wife, Linda; his children, Kathy and Michael; his granddaughter, Esther; as well his loving sister, Karen. He was preceded in death by his father, Allan Lee; his beloved mother, Geneva; and his nephew, Daniel Sundeen. Jim’s life was profoundly affected by the untimely death of his father, a St. Paul police detective, who died heroically from a gunshot wound in 1949 at the age of 42.  Jim was on the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts for 30 years, was an avid year-round fisherman, an avid golfer and a member of Midland Hills Country Club for 30 years. Jim was Chief Financial Officer with the Pohlad Family for 20 years, and Senior VP and CFO with Soo Line Railroad for 15 years.  Jim and Linda are grateful for the fellowship of the community at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, where they worshipped for over 40 years. Jim was a beloved friend to so many dear companions, was known for telling a great story and always had a quick joke at the ready. His many close buddies would like you to know that Jim was always known as “one of the good guys”.  He was for years an avid ham radio operator, enjoyed flying his single engine plane, and in his retiring years he and Linda found a passion for traveling the world together with close friends. They also found peaceful times at the family cabin on South Center Lake in Lindstrom, MN and enjoyed wintering in Naples, FL. Jim was an ardent Minnesota Twins fan, attending many spring training and regular season games every season, and over the years he was also a fan of the North Stars, and has eternally mixed feelings about the Vikings, like any true Minnesotan.  He enjoyed being a Minnesota Golf Association rules official for many amateur tournaments that came through the state of Minnesota. Jim relished the company provided by several family holiday gatherings throughout the year, many of which he and Linda hosted. His whole family were singers, they often sang grace before meals, and Jim was crooning his favorite tunes right til the end. Jim was an avid barbershop singer, was treasurer of the International Barbershop Harmony Society, and was president of the Land O’ Lakes district of that group from 2005-2006. Jim and Linda also sang with the semi-professional couples group Friends, who remind us “Friends are Friends forever.”  Memorials may be sent to the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection Building Fund, or donor’s choice. Private family interment was held at Roselawn Cemetery. A gathering for a memorial service will be announced at a later date. Notification of this event will be posted publicly here and elsewhere. Thank you all for your kind wishes, Jim was one of those classic ones.