David Rowland Lee

Roland Beverly David (Dave) Lee was born in Duncan BC, March 22, 1930. His father, Gordon Lee, was a Mountie (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and his mother, Phyllis Satcher Lee was a homemaker. He was the youngest of five children, with brothers Chuck & Art, and sisters Lorna & Louise.

He had an adventurous & entrepreneurial streak that started young. He was an accomplished swimmer, who swam in the Crystal Gardens in Victoria and qualified for the Olympics in 1948. He was in the Canadian Boy Scouts, and in the summers helped open and maintain parts of the West Coast Trail, which is still in use today. At 17 he ran a small restaurant and bakery, and at 23 he began working as a steward and medical officer on a yacht belonging to the Canadian millionaire H.R. MacMillan. On that yacht he traveled along the coast of North and South America, including forays to the Gal�'¡pagos Islands.

In 1957 he met the love of his life, Nadine. They were married on March 7, 1958, in Vancouver, Canada, and were married for 56 happy years. Their first home was a tiny house in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver. They had two children during those years, Leslie in 1959, and David in 1963.

In 1964 Dave was transferred inland by Pacific Truck and Trailer to Vernon, BC. There Dave built a beautiful home, working weekends and evenings on the house, while he continued working in the automotive industry. They lived there four years, and in 1968 emigrated to Seattle to work for a local auto parts company, Ben's Truck Parts.

While working at Ben's Truck Parts Dave recognized a need for a specialized drive shaft store, and in 1973, started Drivelines NW in Seattle. He subsequently opened two more branches, in Everett and Tacoma, and later opened a store specializing in front wheel drive axles, FWD, Inc. He was very involved in the automotive community, and was a long time member, and past chairman, of the Washington Automotive Wholesalers Association (WAWA). In 1996, Dave retired and handed the reins over to his son, Dave Jr, who continues to run the companies to date.

Dave & Nadine enjoyed life enormously when Dave retired, wintering in Mesa Arizona for 20 years, and enjoying their waterfront condo on Whidbey Island in the summers. They also traveled extensively, with trips around the US and Canada, Central America, Asia & Europe. They took the Concorde to London, went on many cruises, even traveling in Asia and trekking in the Himalayas.

Dave's children & grandchildren were his pride and joy. His grandchildren Corey and Cameron grew up spending their summers at the condo on Whidbey with him. He and Nadine were very involved in their lives, and were regular visitors and babysitters.

Dave loved family, friends & parties. He was a great cook, and a master of the BBQ. He was a sun worshiper and loved hot tubs and hot springs. He loved a project and could do anything he put his mind to: gardening, building: he was a top notch tinkerer. He had a terrific sense of humor and loved to laugh. He was Canadian born but loved America, with its spirit of possibility and potential. He was dynamic, brilliantly self-educated, and proudly Republican.

Dave touched so many people with his warmth and love of life. David Lee, rest in peace.