Clarence was born, at home in New Diggins, Wisconsin, on July 22, 1930.

Clarence was the eldest of twelve children born to Joseph Orlen and Florence Marie (Hughes) Lee. He grew up during the Great Depression on a 157 acre farm a few miles Northeast of Scales Mound, Illinois. He had four brothers (2 passed in infancy) and seven sisters. There is a 26 year age difference between Clarence and his youngest sibling, John.
He had a rough childhood, but you’d never have known it by the way he treated people. He had a natural, easy way with people. Every one of his sisters at one time or another has shared that he was their hero and protector. At 21 he decided he didn’t want to be a farmer so he and his best friend, went to Iowa City to enlist in the Navy. He chose the west side of the Mississippi, because he knew boot camp at Great Lakes in Chicago would be really cold in the winter, but if joined west of the Mississippi River boot camp would be in San Diego, California, a much nicer climate especially in the winter. He contracted polio in boot camp, was hospitalized for six months, as soon as he was released from the hospital he completed boot camp and then served four years in the Navy and the Korean War. He served and was a Sonar-man on the USS Gilligan, a John C. Butler destroyer escort. His youngest grandson once asked him if he killed anyone in the war, Clarence’s response was, I sure hope not. When he completed his commitment to the Navy he was honorably discharged.

Clarence came back home to Scale’s Mound, after serving in the Navy. He worked in the Lead and Zinc mines in SW Wisconsin and decided he didn’t want to do that type of work for the rest of his life, so he took advantage of the offered GI Bill and attended the UW Platteville, where he got a degree in teaching and industrial arts (and post graduate work at the UW Madison and UW Whitewater in Driver Education and Safety). He met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Williams while attending UW Platteville. They loved to dance and were well known on campus. Clarence always said don’t let schooling get in the way of your education. Clarence was runner up to Prom King. Tom Davis (later famous Iowa Men’s basketball coach) beat him as king. They were good friends. He and Patricia graduated from Platteville in 1960 and got married that August after graduation.

He got a job to teach in Reedsburg that fall. His first teaching contract was for $4,100 a year. Clarence and Pat only planned to stay in Reedsburg for a few years, but they fell in love with the community and the gorgeous tree lined Main Street.

Clarence taught at the Reedsburg Webb High School from 1960 to 1990. He taught Industrial Arts, Geography, and is most well-known for teaching Drivers Education. He also served as an athletic director and vice principal before those became regular positions. Almost everyone Clarence taught has a “Mr. Lee story.” He was the junior class advisor for 30 years and attended every prom. Pat and Clarence could always be seen dancing circles around the kids on prom night. He was a beloved teacher. He told students if they were out at a party or somewhere that they didn’t feel safe, to call him and he’d come pick them up, and he did. He’d rather do that than have something bad happen to them. He was a respected teacher that went to bat for several students, giving them second chances, and taking them under his wing being a mentor and confidant. Additionally, you could always find Clarence, smoking his pipe, taking tickets and doing crowd control at every home football game. He was a beloved wrestling coach, and helped start the Reedsburg Wrestling Club, and annual smelt feed. He also held the 1st awards night for the Reedsburg Wrestling team with the $200 he was paid to coach. He put it all back into the kids. He knew the wrestlers needed to be acknowledged. He was instrumental in the success and continuation of the Wrestling program in Reedsburg and attended every match he could until his legs couldn’t hold him and he couldn’t drive anymore. In 2021 Clarence was inducted into the Reedsburg Coaches Hall of Fame for his commitment to coaching Reedsburg Wrestling. He was so humbled by this huge honor.
 

He also taught part time at Reedsburg Area Technical College that then turned in to Madison Area Technical College, now Madison College. He retired from Madison College in 2010, when he was 80 years old. He taught professionally for 50 years.

Clarence always had his pliers in his pocket and could fix anything with those pliers, even a broken heel of a bride on her wedding day. He kept busy putzing around his garage, doing leatherwork, taking care of the lawn, woodworking, cutting wood, basically he rarely sat down, he loved staying active. He quietly but passionately supported community programs and fundraisers of all kinds. He was a bar tender, drove a team of horses at Lost Canyon in Wisconsin Dells for several summers, he was a Rail Foreman at the North Freedom Mid-Continental Railroad Museum for several summers, laying new track to get it refurbished to what it is now. He drove school bus and volunteered for several area groups including the Reedsburg Optimist Group, and was chair and auctioneer for Reedsburg United Fund for many years. He was one of the founding fathers and served several years as Chair for the Reedsburg Butter Festival. He was a life member of the Wisconsin Masonic Lodge, and also served with the Order of the Eastern Star with his wife Pat. He was the first teacher who was President of the Reedsburg Chamber of Commerce and served 9 years on the Wisconsin Drivers Education and Traffic Safety Association (WDTSEA) and 2 years as president. He worked on legislation and was instrumental in passing Wisconsin’s law for the speed limit 55, requiring mandatory seatbelts and car seats for children. He also originated one of the first four phase driver education programs in the state of Wisconsin. He developed and taught the beginning rider course in motorcycle safety in the state. He was also a member of the Sauk County Highway safety commission, and was a Cadet Commander of the Civil Air Patrol. To say Clarence cared about his community is an understatement.

He was always helping others where and when he could. He did this quietly, without fanfare or being acknowledged. He had a very strong faith. He didn’t talk much about it, but if you watched him live his life, you know he lived it, every day. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church and most recently the Reedsburg Church of God. As he quietly helped people he never thought he was doing anything special. He was just living his life, treating everyone the way he’d want to be treated. He was generous, kind and loving. It’s just who he was.

He was never afraid to tell you that he loved you. And If he ever told you to “drive safely”, that was another way he said I love you. It was common for someone to say I love you and he would respond, “I’m pretty partial to you too!’ That also meant he loved you. He loved telling stories and joke around. He was a fantastic story teller.

He loved spending time with his family and friends. He loved to camp. Clarence and Pat camped with family and friends at almost every state park and as a family camped across the United States, East to West Coasts and north and southern boarders, but his favorite place to camp was the Lee Family Farm. He loved fishing and especially fly-fishing. To watch him fly fish was majestic, and almost like a dance. He taught his kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews and friends kids how to fish and was always patient and so proud when they caught a big one! He was incredibly strong and would often pick up his Jon-boat over his head, like it was a feather, and put it on the car top carrier of the car and head to Mirror Lake, White Mound or Lake Redstone. He was especially fond of his guys’ trips to Hayward, Canada and fishing the Namekagon. He also loved deer hunting with his deer camp crew. Oh, the stories he told!

Family meant the world to him and family wasn’t always by blood. He and Pat have a lot of bonus kids and grandkids. He was quick to understand and slow to judge. He accepted everyone where they were at, he never judged anyone by the color of their skin, their orientation or what they believed in. He did however shake his head in disgust if someone treated someone poorly or they were selfish, mean or unkind, or treated his loved ones badly. He was a great judge of character and saw people for who they were and treated them with kindness despite themselves. He always tried to see the best in everyone. He often said help others when you can, and if you can’t help, find someone who can. Not to the detriment of your own self, but help. He was a phenomenal Husband, Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, and friend. He loved spending time with the people he loved. He was always there to help, talk, give great advice or help you out of a pickle. He could fix anything, from broken lawnmowers, broken toys to broken hearts. He was the type of Dad that even as a grown person you could crawl up on his lap and cuddle in. He was generous and loving to a fault.

As a result of Clarence having polio when he was in the service, he later suffered from Post-Polio Syndrome, a secondary affect from having polio. He was a huge advocate for the polio vaccine. He often said you don’t want to deal with this horrible disease twice. Clarence passed away, peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones on Wednesday, May 14th at his home. He took his last breath at 3:37 pm and we know his amazing mother and sisters and great friends were there to welcome him to his eternal reward!

Clarence is survived by the love of his life, Patricia A. (Williams) Lee, son Daniel Lee, daughters; Ann Marie (Reginald) Redmond, Amy Elizabeth Lee (Shawn) Merwin, grandchildren; Dyana “Dee” Lee, Maxwell (Jamie Roth) Lee, Aaron Redmond, Allie Redmond, Addison (Sydnie) Redmond, great grand-daughters; Maeve Redmond, Lena Redmond, Brothers Joseph (MaryAnn) Lee, John (Prudy) Lee, sister Florence Jane Toepfer, many nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, his kids by the heart, relatives and great friends and “good pup” Ernie.
He was preceded in death by his parents J. Orlen and Florence Lee, brothers, Earl and Thomas Lee (in infancy), sisters; Gladys (Roger) Perkins, Violet (Jim) Whitsett, Mary Lou (Gerald) Richter, Nancy (Court) Collins, Ruth (Byron) Broge and Doris Farrey. Brother-in-laws; Ronald Toepfer, John “Jack” (Arlene)Sutliff, sister-in-law Mary (James) Hore.

Clarence had a strong faith but never was pushy about it. He showed it to everyone by the life he lived. His passing leaves a gigantic hole in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. We’ve learned so many lessons from him and gleaned so much knowledge, just by watching him live his beautiful life.

His family would like to say a huge thank you to Agrace Hospice staff for their amazing support and care and to the Phenomenal Caregivers who provided 24/7 in home care to Clarence (and Pat) these last two and a half years. Our “Dream Team,” We can’t thank you enough! We love and appreciate you! You’re the best!

Clarence is and will continue to be, our North Star, and moral compass.

As Clarence would always say, “Drive Safely and keep it out of the alfalfa!”

A service celebrating the life of Clarence O. Lee will be conducted at 11:00 am on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.  Visitation will be held on Monday, May 19 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Farber Funeral Home, Reedsburg, and on Tuesday from 9:45 am until 10:45 am.  A Masonic service will begin at 10:45 am.  Military honors will be accorded at the funeral home following the service.  A fellowship luncheon will be held at the Church of God in Reedsburg following military honors.

Due to road construction, access to Farber Funeral Home is from the north on County Road H (Viking Drive).  Golf Course Road or North Dewey Avenue will give access to County Road H. You will need to turn on 20th Street to access the funeral home parking lot.

The family requests NO Flowers. In lieu of flowers the family has set up the Family of Clarence Lee Memorial that will be used to continue and honor Clarence’s exceptional life and huge impact in the community and us all.