Obituary of John Bartholomew Lee

John Bartholomew Lee, who served the New Jersey Legislature with dedication and distinction for more than a quarter century as an employee of the Office of Legislative Services, died Friday morning in Freehold, NJ, after a brief illness. He was 84. In 1966, Mr. Lee joined the then-Legislative Services Agency's Division of Legislative Information and Research , leaving behind a promising newspaper career. During his years with the state, he produced some of the most intricate and complex bills introduced in the Legislature and received numerous letters of personal appreciation, including ones from then-Assemblymen Tom Kean and Robert Wilentz. He retired in 1993. After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in the Classics (Class of 1952), Mr. Lee went to work for the Freehold Transcript, a weekly publication where his job duties included reporting, writing and delivering papers. He left the Transcript to join the staff of The Trentonian, where he rose to the position of Editorial Page Editor. He presided over the paper's editorial pages during the turbulent 1960s and expressed his own opinions in a regular column titled "Across the Board." Noted for his rigorous thinking and scholarly bent, Mr. Lee nonetheless relished the rough and tumble world of the newspaper business. Born in Pleasantville, NY, in 1930, he was the son of Sylvester and Gertrude Lee. He was a graduate of the Freehold Military Academy and Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. He and his wife of 55 years, Helen Carolyn Davison Lee, raised six children. A devoted father, he volunteered as an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 11, Trenton, NJ, and as a youth baseball coach in Millstone Township, NJ, where he lived from 1972 until his death. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, Daniel (Julia), Michael (Mardi), and Timothy (Steve); three daughters, Emma (Mike), Elizabeth (Bert), and Gertrude (Ajay); 13 grandchildren, Jackie, Katherine, Conrad (Uli), Maggie, Alex, Marcus, Joseph, Steven, Carter, Skyler, Melodypearl, Krishna, and Lakshmi; and a great granddaughter, Emilia. A graveside funeral service will be held on Monday, March 16th, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, Freehold. For further information, please see website freemanfuneralhomes.com