Leland (Lee) Bordelon, 77, of Jacksonville, FL, passed away February 23rd. He was born in Washington, D.C. on September 24, 1943. Although he lived in several states growing up, he spent most of his early years in Iowa and was a graduate of Iowa State University.
Lee joined the Coast Guard in 1967. After graduating from OCS, he served in Vietnam for a year, then served in the Coast Guard Reserves for several additional years. In 1972 he volunteered to join the crew taking the Absecon, a decommissioned 310-ft cutter, to South Vietnam. After living in Oregon for several years, Lee returned to Cedar Rapids, IA and went back to school to train as a mainframe computer programmer. It was there in 1975 he met Sheryl Porter, who was auditing his class prior to starting a new programming job. After getting to know one another in class over the course of several weeks, Lee finally asked Sheryl out on a date. Defying all logic, five days after that date Lee proposed, Sheryl accepted, and five weeks later they married in a small family ceremony.
In 1977, Lee and Sheryl moved to Jacksonville, both for the weather and for the variety of computer jobs available. After working for American Heritage Life for two years, Lee accepted a job with CSX in their technology subsidiary; he would work for CSX until his retirement in 1999. Lee loved writing “elegant” code to solve problems, the more challenging the better. He was given assignments that others considered impossible to accomplish, and he became the first CSX programmer utilizing expert systems (AI). He was not only a technical expert, but he enjoyed working with teammates and mentored a number of younger programmers. He and his colleagues also relished playing pranks on one another to lighten the mood as deadlines approached.
Lee and Sheryl had two sons after moving to Jacksonville, Jason and Tim. Although both were born and raised in Jacksonville, as adults they each were pulled to other parts of the country, one to Illinois and the other to Oregon. One of Lee’s greatest joys was watching his sons grow into fine young men, that joy only exceeded by the birth of his granddaughter, Jackie, in 2018.
Lee served as the primary caregiver for his mother during her years-long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He also joined Sheryl in caring for her mother in her final few years.
Beyond spending time with his family, Lee enjoyed gardening, in particular growing different species of clumping bamboo. He enjoyed tinkering with solar cells, converting several lawn mowers to solar power. He did a great deal of work on the family home, from building a shed and a greenhouse to remodeling much of the inside; he prided himself on doing things himself as much as possible. Lee loved road trips, his favorite being the one where he followed the route that Lewis and Clark took on their way to the West Coast. He was known for his stories, his advice, his wit, and his willingness to help, and will be missed by all who knew him.
Lee was predeceased by his parents, Madel A. Bordelon and Gladys K. Bordelon, as well as his beloved dog, Puppy. He is survived by his wife of more than 45 years, Sheryl; sons Jason (Emily) and Tim; his granddaughter, Jackie; brother, Eugene (Bev); and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Due to the pandemic, the service celebrating Lee’s life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the Alzheimer’s Association, both causes that were meaningful to Lee.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hgmandarin.com for the Bordelon family.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME OF MANDARIN, 11801 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223. www.hgmandarin.com (904) 288-0025.
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