Lee Castle Soule

Lee C. Soule, 86, of Seminole, Florida, formerly of Manchester, CT, Lake Villa, IL, Brookline, NH, and Saint Petersburg, FL, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at his home in the company of loved ones after a period of declining health.

He was born in 1938 in Brooklyn, New York to Olive C. and Ralph T. Soule. He grew up in Ramsey, NJ, graduated with a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1960, and earned his MBA from Rutgers University. He proudly served his country in the early 1960s as a Naval Officer on the U.S.S. Forrestal.

Lee’s life changed forever when he met and married Marjorie Andrews in 1969. They were married for 44 years until her death in 2013.

Lee had a long career in the Specialty Coatings/Chemical Manufacturing industries, and worked as a salesman and executive for The Dexter Corporation in Rocky Hill, CT, and later for the Cabot Corporation out of Boston, MA. He also worked as a consultant until his retirement in 2009.

Lee was most recently a member of the Florida West Coast Orchid Society and was an esteemed grower and American Orchid Society Judge and member for many years. He had a passion for all plants, especially orchids. Lee also worked tirelessly as an activist in recent years to abolish the Death Penalty in America. He befriended, ministered to, and advocated for death row inmates and campaigned to end state and federal executions. Lee was actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America while living in Connecticut and was scoutmaster of Troop 123 in Manchester during the 1980s. This work meant a lot to him and he was very proud of all the young men that he was privileged to know and mentor through the Boy Scouts. Lee was a faithful member of Bay Pines Lutheran Church in Seminole, Florida where he and Marge had a very close and supportive church family. His faith and his church community were very important to him and guided him all the days of his life.

Lee is survived by his three children, Catherine (Kate) Mein (Bernard) of Springfield, MA, Jonathan Soule (Laura) of Nashua, NH, and Lauren Liebich (Peter), of McHenry, IL, and five grandchildren of whom he was very proud: Nathaniel Soule, Ava Soule, Benjamin Soule, Joseph Liebich, and Samuel Liebich. He is also survived by a dear sister, Susan Wightman, of Mendham, NJ, beloved in-laws Mary Soule of Mechanicsburg, PA, Ruth Andrews of West Palm Beach, FL, and James Andrews (Laura) of Hoschton, GA, and many dearly-loved nieces, nephews, and their families. He also leaves behind his former ward and family friend Matthew Lane, of Sunnyvale, CA.

Lee was predeceased by his wife Marjorie in 2013, his brother Wayne Soule in 2015, and his nephew James Wightman in 2016.

A memorial service for Lee will be held on Saturday, February 22 at 11 a.m. at Bay Pines Evangelical Lutheran Church, 7589 113th St. N, Seminole, FL 33772. Visitation with the family will be at the church before the service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. A light luncheon will be held on-site after the service. The memorial service will be live-streamed on the Bay Pines Lutheran Church Facebook page. Deliveries may be made to the church anytime after 9 a.m. on February 22.

Interment at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH, will take place later in the year.

Memorial donations may be made to Bay Pines Evangelical Lutheran Church at the above address, to the Florida West Coast Orchid Society, 10891 102nd Ave N, Seminole, FL 33778, or to Suncoast Hospice Foundation, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33760.