Darvin Lewis Lee

A service with military honors will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 2:00 pm at Willamette National Cemetery, Portland. A gathering of family and friends will follow across the street at Lincoln Memorial Park, 11801 SE Mt Scott Blvd, Portland, OR 97086.

Darvin died in Beaverton, OR on March 3, 2014 with his wife of 69 yrs. at his side. He was born on March 9, 1920 to Ed and Mabel (Kimball) Lee in Chico, CA.

Darvin spent most of his childhood on the Shedd Ranch in Alturas, CA. When he and his younger brother Virgil were young, the only chores they were big enough for was herding goats. At one point he was away from school so much herding the goats that he had to take 4th grade over. Although they were very poor and life on the ranch was very difficult he truly loved the ranch and Alturas. John Jay and Percy Shedd played a huge role in Darvin’s childhood and he always talked of how much they meant to him. As a teen he wanted to be a rodeo bronc rider. After being thrown several times he decided it wasn’t for him.

Darvin graduated from Modoc High School, class of 1940 in Alturas, CA.

After high school, at the beginning of US involvement in WW II, the local Sheriff made Darvin a deputy sheriff to help guard the Tule Lake Internment Camp that was being built. After he worked there awhile he found out that they were rounding up all Japanese regardless of whether they were US citizens or not, and they were losing everything. He didn’t believe that was right if they had committed no crime, so he quit.

After quitting the camp in 1942 he enlisted as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment. He joined the paratroopers because he thought they wouldn’t have to march as much as the regular army. He was stationed at Camp Toccoa, GA for training then Fort Benning, GA for parachute training school. The 506 broke the Japanese Army world record for marching, by marching the 137 miles from Camp Toccoa to Fort Benning in 75 hrs 15 min.

He served in Normandy (D-Day), Holland (Operation Market Garden), Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge), and Berchtesgaden (Hitler’s Eagles Nest) being wounded twice. He was honorably discharged as Staff Sargent and awarded the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star.

The 101st Airborne Division was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its stand at Bastogne. This was the first time in the history of the United States Army that an entire Division had been so honored.

www.ww2-airborne.us/units/506/506.html

While stationed in Ramsbury, England he would jog 7 miles into Marlborough to the library. At the library he became friends with Gertrude Bennett who volunteered there. Gertrude and her two younger children, Patricia and Gerald had been evacuated from their home in London due to the constant bombing of London. Gertrude invited Darvin and his brother Virgil to her flat (apartment) for Christmas Dinner. At dinner they met her older daughter Kathleen (Molly). Kathleen had stayed in London as she was taking physical therapy training at King’s College Hospital, but came to Marlborough for Christmas with her family. Darvin met with Molly in London every chance he could get leave. Darvin married Kathleen (Molly) Bennett in Hendon, London on March 8, 1945 while on a short leave before his next deployment. Darvin’s cousin Lloyd Royce was best man, as he was also stationed near London. Brother Virgil was unable to get leave. Molly’s wedding dress was hand made from curtain material as other fabric was rationed in England during the war.

Darvin returned to Alturas after discharge from the Army waiting a year for Molly to arrive. The Army provided the “war brides” passage to the US on a hospital ship after all the GI’s had returned home. The trip from London to New York took 10 days. After resting for a week at her Uncle’s house in Auburn, NY she embarked on a 5 day train trip to Oakland, CA. Darvin met her in Oakland and they had a brief honeymoon in San Francisco.

They lived in Alturas, CA where Darvin and and his cousin Lloyd had started a business hauling peat moss. When that didn’t work out Darvin went to work driving a log truck. The logs ran out so they moved to Lebanon, OR with the logging company, towing their house trailer behind the log truck. The logging was sporadic so Darvin went to work in the lumber mill and Molly next door in a battery separator plant. They worked different shifts and would meet in the parking lot for a few minutes together each day. When the mill shut down Darvin decided (with prompting by Molly and his mother Mabel) to use his GI Bill to take a cabinetmaker apprenticeship. The only apprenticeship he could find was in Portland, OR.

They settled in Portland in 1949, living in their trailer on SE 91st and Division St. Darvin became friends with Lyle & Lillian Washburn who lived behind the trailer park. Lyle was a carpenter who had built several of the houses on 92nd Ave. between Division and Lincoln Streets. The Washburns had a small house for sale that Lyle had recently built and they offered it Darvin. Darvin and Molly lived in that house for 48 yrs. with Darvin adding on, and continuously renovating and improving it with many built-ins, new kitchen cabinets, shop, etcetera, building it all himself. While living at this house they raised their sons, Robert (Cody), and Andy.

Darvin and Molly moved to Beaverton in ’96 to downsize and be closer to their sons.

Darvin worked for several cabinet/fixture shops in Portland including Grand Rapids Fixtures, Teeples & Thatcher, and Blair Woodworking. After numerous layoffs he was hired with the Federal Government’s General Services Administration.

Darvin spent most of his career as a journeyman cabinetmaker for the GSA. Much of his fine craftsmanship can still be found in the Pioneer Courthouse and the Gus Soloman US Federal Courthouse in Portland.

Darvin’s hobbies included working in his shop, hiking/walking, canoeing (into their early 80’s), and fishing. Darvin also cherished his time spent with family and also the neighboring children.

He is survived by wife of 69 yrs., Molly, sons, Robert (Laurie) and Andy (Sandy) and brother Bill Lee (Claris). He was preceded in death by his parents Ed and Mabel, and brother Virgil Lee (Helen).

In lieu of flowers donations in his honor can be made to:

PBS (https://secure.opb.org/contribute/)

Susan G. Komen Foundation (http://ww5.komen.org/Donate/Donate.html)

Oregon Humane Society (http://www.oregonhumane.org/donate/tribute_gifts.asp)