Gerald W. Lee, age 81, of Maple Grove and formerly of New Hope and Cambridge, died January 28, 2016 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, February 4th at Strike Funeral Home – Cambridge Chapel. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Long Lake Community Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the Isanti VFW.
Gerald Wayne Lee was born August 20, 1934 in Hendrum, Minnesota to Oscar and Signe (Letness) Lee. His mother died when Jerry was an infant and his family moved to Cambridge. A few years later his dad married Laverne Erickson. Jerry graduated from Cambridge High School in 1952 and then served in the US Navy for 3 years during the Korean Conflict. On August 25, 1962 Jerry married Natalie Zenz of Anoka. They lived in New Jersey until 1970 when they moved to New Hope. For the past 18 years they have made their home in Maple Grove.
After serving in the Navy, Jerry worked in the computer field for Sperry Univac in New York and then for the University of Chicago. After marrying Natalie and moving to New Jersey in 1962, he and two other business partners started the computer data processing firm Systemetrics. In 1970, he started to work for Northwestern National Bank in Minneapolis as an EDP Auditor of the bank’s computer systems. In 1984, the bank changed its name to Norwest Bank. He retired from Norwest in 1993.
During retirement, he enjoyed spending time at the lake home on Lake Mille Lacs and investing in the stock market.
Gerald Lee passed away January 28, 2016 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital at the age of 81 years, 5 months and 8 days. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by one brother, Myron Lee; two sisters, Ethel Lundquist and Gladys Reksten; sisters-in-law, Marilynn Lee and Johann Ward; brothers-in-law, Ragnar Lundquist, Ted Reksten and Ralph Berg; and nephew, John Reksten.
He is survived by his loving wife, Natalie; two sons, Jeff Lee of Maple Grove, Kevin (Grace) Lee of Portland, OR; brother, Owen Lee of Fergus Falls; two sisters, Verona Berg of Madison, MN, Karen Lee of Cambridge; sister-in-law, Judith Lee of Palo Alto, CA; 3 grandchildren, Annika, Erika and Celina; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, great-great-nieces and nephews; other family and friends.