I heard about the death of Bill Lee while at Gettysburg at the ADS Convention. I’m posting this in case others of you who knew him hadn’t heard of his passing. Here’s the link: https://www.newcomercincinnati.com/Obituary/213957/William-Lee/Cincinnati-OH
Bill was a big part of my first ADS Convention experience in 2002. The convention was at the Drawbridge Inn and there was a medieval themed banquet with costumes. Bill drove a van load of us out-of-towners to a costume shop so we could rent costumes and join in on the fun and he even returned the costumes for us. His and Hurst’s place was on the tour and I remember how lovely it was. Bill also was an important part of many of the John Reed digs.
If you were at Gettysburg the list of ADS members and friends lost this past year was sadly extensive. Bill is another we will miss and remember fondly.
Bill Lee became the editor of the Daffodil Journal shortly after I became a
member of ADS. He became my mentor by email and advised me on a massive
scale.I was suffering from PTSD at the time. I have now mostly conquered
that. I never met him until the Ashville, NC ADS National Convention. We
were staging our daffodils at the same round table, and were together at
that table for an hour or so before I realized that he was Bill Lee. I
have always considered Bill Lee to be one of my best Daffodil Friends..We
drifted apart the last few years, but he is forever in my memory. He will
be missed.
Clay
Hi Becky and Clay,
I recieved news of this for the Journal and have inferred that he played some important roles in the ADS. Would either of you be willing to write up an ADS-related memorial for him for the Journal, or direct me to someone who would? Thank you both for sharing your memories of him with us. – Jolene
Jolene,
See what Becky has to say. I’m not as bright as I used to be (79 this
year) and am not sure I can do justice to all the work and effort that Bill
put into support of the ADS and the Daffodil Journal. The people in SWORDs
up in Ohio might be better to put together something.
Clay
Thank you, Clay. I’ll check around. Best wishes to you and Fran. – Jolene
I also agree that someone from SWODS will know more of Bill’s history with SWODS and ADS. I do see on the ADS website that Bill Lee was awarded the ADS Silver Medal in 2009 and there is a lovely writeup of that award here: https://dafflibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2009-ADS-Silver-Medal-Bill-Lee.pdf.