Christopher Alan Lee

We are heartbroken to announce that Christopher Alan Lee passed away on September 17, 2021, surrounded by the love of his family, after a short, courageous battle with cancer. He was the beloved husband of Bonnie Braithwaite-Lee, and cherished father and best friend of Scott, his pride and joy. Chris was predeceased by his parents, George and Helene Lee, brother, Dennis Lee and father and mother-in-law, Wally and Katherine Braithwaite. He is survived by brothers Michael (Alison) and Larry (Wendy), sisters Cathy Policicchio (Bruno) and Monique Hehn (Larry), sisters-in-law Barbara Braithwaite and Susan Lee and dear friend Nancy Lee, as well as many nephews, nieces and friends.

Chris was born on August 27, 1955 in Shilo, Manitoba. His father’s army career also took the family to Oromocto and Petawawa, before moving to Toronto in the 1970s. At an early age, in the course of many eventful family camping trips, Chris developed a fascination with forests and trees. He studied forestry at the University of Toronto which led to a fulfilling career that spanned over 40 years. He worked for industry, the Canadian Forest Service, the Minister of Forestry, the Canadian Institute of Forestry and the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board. Following his retirement from government in 2013, Chris became a consultant and served as Managing Director of the Canadian Association of Forest Owners, work he loved which provided him the opportunity to continue his dedication to sustainable forest management.

It was at University that he met Bonnie, the love of his life. They found “one love that is shared by two” and their adventure together began, continuing over 37 years of marriage. It included stops in Prince Albert, where they were blessed with the birth of Scott, then on to Ottawa, Victoria and back to Ottawa. Along the way, they made many cherished friendships, enjoyed entertaining family and friends, explored Canada from coast to coast, travelled to Europe, the US and the Caribbean, and together celebrated the joys and faced the challenges that life can offer.

Chris embraced life and had many diverse interests which he took up with great enthusiasm – his love of music, especially the drums, Elvis and the Beatles; sailing; playing goal in hockey; coaching Scott’s hockey teams; his Christmas model railway; planes and trains; volunteer work, including the 2010 Olympics; cooking and golf. He was renowned for his homemade pasta, and loved a good (or bad) game of golf with Scott.

Chris was a warm, caring and compassionate man. He will always be remembered for the way he would light up a room with his smile and his sense of humour, kindness and genuine interest in people. He was a dedicated friend, a true professional and a gentleman. Most of all, Chris was a loving, devoted and supportive husband, father, son, brother and uncle. His greatest joy was spending time with family, sharing memories and laughter.

We would like to thank Dr. Power at the Queensway Carleton Hospital and Dr. Canil and the medical and nursing staff at the Ottawa General Hospital for their care and compassion during Chris’s illness. A special thank-you to Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey for his spiritual guidance during this very difficult time.

The family will receive relatives and friends at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home, 1411 Hunt Club Road (at Albion Road), on Friday, October 15, 2021 from 2-4 & 6-8 pm. Due to Covid -19 restrictions, please call the funeral home at 613-737-7900 to schedule a time to attend the visitation. A Celebration of Chris`s Life will be held in the Chapel on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 2 pm by invitation only. The Celebration of Life will be available via live steam at www.funeraweb.tv for all to view. It is also available in replay for 200 days following.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation in memory of Christopher to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation or to the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation.