Ian Darrell Lee was born in Coos Bay Oregon in June 1949. He was 74 years old. He was the eldest child of his parents, Dea Morrissey and Darrel Lee. He had a sister Dena and his brother Van is the only surviving sibling.
His family moved to the Seattle area when he was young and he lived there for most of his life before coming to San Diego in the late 90’s.
As a young man, he was a free spirit. A passionate musician and a pacifist against the Vietnam war. He struggled for a time to find his path in life. He kept trying different things before ultimately turning to art. He enjoyed the freedom of expression that sculpting and painting gave him. Creating art put his mind and soul at peace. Ian earned a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art from the University of Washington.
Early in his career, he worked at Renaware as a video producer in marketing. He used his artistic vision to create videos where he contributed to everything from writing the scripts to editing the final product. His career path eventually led him to IT and software where he excelled. He was a lifelong learner who studied hard, constantly earning new professional certifications and working his way up into leadership roles in his work. His work ethic was unmatched, often working from the early morning hours to late into the evening. In more than thirty years, he only called out sick once.
Anyone who knew Ian can tell you he loved to joke around. His sense of humor was quirky, and whether you got his jokes or not, he always left you smiling. He was extremely generous with his family and friends. Every birthday, every Christmas, every anniversary, he went out of his way to make his loved ones feel special.
In retirement, Ian returned to his love for music. He dedicated himself to relearning the guitar and formed a band called The Fogs with his best friend, Tony and Tony’s son, Shane.
Ian is survived by his wife Rosana, his children Kirsten and Julian, and his brother, Van.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
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