Lee was someone you dont forget. He packed a lot into that 64 years.

It was quite a shock to read of what we all know to be an inevitability for us all and here., specifically, Lee's passing. He was a close friend although we went in different directions about 1993 or so. 3000 miles apart.
We grew up in the same neighborhood for almost the first thirty years of our lives. Lee was the adventurous one. Larry Atkins, EJ Macchio, Steve Harney, "Hermann the German, all round out the fairly close-knit group of friends whose informal leader was "Judge Leo" a.k.a. "Porpoise". 
At North Miami High, Lee was famous for holding "Porpoise Court" at a local snack bar where he would daily render a predetermined verdict of guilty for a fabricated crime of a student,  had him transported by crowd across West Dixie Highway and deposited into the pond of a public fountain to the raucous laughter of the same crowd. 
Lee's most prized possession was his Honda 350 motorcycle for many years. Chrome and custom metal flake.
Lee had an IMPRESSIVE family. His parents were the epitome of Pillars of the Community both taken by misfortune before their time. DeeDee his sister moved to (I believe) Houston to raise a family and Dear Tina (Lee's older Sister) was struck down by a malady while still fairly young.
 Lee's older brother John., as upstanding a Lawyer as I've ever encountered, went on to become a prominent Ft. Lauderdale Attorney. It is for him and DeeDee we weep today.
Lee was a devout Catholic and long attended Saint James Church in North Miami Florida before moving to central Florida, though the family was originally from German Town, Pennsylvania.
Having lost touch as is want to happen these days, I didn't find out until May 17, 2018, through the internet.
Lee never lost his sense of Irish heritage and was true to the name O'Donnell. I'll miss him. To his immediate family from Sue onward, I salute you.



I remember the first time i met Leo. his sister and my sister were hanging out.  Dee Dee [ his sister] dropped off my sister at our house in a brown ford wagon they went inside our house and Leo was in the car. i was outside watching this kid with a ice cube tray with an model airplane engine attached to it. going up and down the puddles in front parkways of the houses.[ after a day of rain]. Leo saw that i was watching with great interests so he went up to the kid and they had some words after a bit Leo pulled out some money and came back to my yard with the  model airplane/ ice cube type thingy and said OK i got it from him  i paid 15 bucks just give me the 15 back and its yours .it took me all of that day and most the the next to try to come up with 15 dollars [i think i was 11 or 12 at the time] but i did get it. i went to his house and gave him the money and took it home with the biggest smile you could Imagine  i when to the hobby store and got fuel came back. ran a hose in my front yard to flood my drive way i was just about to start it up when i looked  and there was the kid that originally owned this thingy and he said is that the  one i had from other day i said yes i just  bought it for 15 dollars. he just looked at me and said really i sold  for 5 bucks. and that was the start of a friendship that lasted over 45 years .and every time i would bring up that story he would just start that  infectious laugh.. and i don't care who you are or how mad you were once you heard that laugh you couldn't help but laugh yourself.. after many years of hanging out he and a bunch of other friends decided to move to Orlando. and he would try to come down about once every two years but he would always call me  and tell me to move up there. and yes there's a big gap of story's i left out but for good reason . one being you wouldn't believe most of them and second if i was to tell all that i remember this would have as many pages as the book War and Peace. I for one feel blessed for having this man introduce into my life he has always been the brother i never had. and as a best friend there was none better. and i know one day we will meet again .but as of rite now my heart breaks and the tears wont stop flowing , Bro i miss you and love you. R.I.P your friend / brother  E. J.

OBITUARY

Lee J O'Donnell

April 22, 1951 – April 30, 2015

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