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Pete Lee True Stories a keepsake from Memoir for Me

Dad thanks for getting me to Notre Dame and for showing us the way forward in life Love Chip Dad your strength never hesitates to meet challenges head on while at the same time your warm heart has created a family pack of love I aspire to live a life of such courage Love always Margie A successful life filled with family friends faith you believed you could create one and so you did Thank you for your strength your love and your amazing courage Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead I love you Catie To my Daddy O You helped form my loyalty to family and friends you gave me my strong work ethic and you began my love of labradors You helped create the the woman I am today and I thank you Meghan your love

Lee Family Christmas 2005 Back Row Chip Lee Peter Lee Sara Stassel Lee Jonathan Lee Jennifer Lee Kevin Brennan Middle Row Margie Lee McGuffey Amy McGuffey Peter E Lee Jr Eleanor Goodrich Lee Meghan Lee Connor Brennan Catie Lee Brennan Tom McGuffey Front Row Nora McGuffey Alex McGuffey Finnegan Madeline Brennan

Here s to the American Eagle That beautiful bird of prey That spreads its wings over Illinois and craps on I O way And here s to Iowa With its soil so deep and rich We don t need any turds from you dirty birds You Illinois son of a bitch gun Lee Family Toast including a later revision

Kicking off the motor home trip out west in 1977 Hold er Newt she s headed for the barn It was the middle of summer in 1977 and a young man named Chip in a Disney mouse ears hat was barreling a motor home down I 80 His parents Pete and Eleanor and three sisters Margie Catie and Meghan were in the back singing loudly and eating Bugles This may sound like a scene from a National Lampoons movie In reality this was the pinnacle vacation of the Lee family the legendary motor home trip out west They had six weeks to drive to the west coast and back They were visiting Pete s cousin Rosemary Clark in San Francisco but were planning to stop at every possible national treasure along the way Yellowstone Mt Rushmore and the Grand Tetons On the way there they stopped to visit cousin Pat McHugh and her family in Las Vegas parking the motorhome right on the strip The trip had been planned months in advance possible routes and stops discussed and debated They had a map hung from the Lee basement wall with all the proposed stops marked with a pushpin Pete s wife Eleanor did much of the planning and would serve as his navigator They were marking their 25th wedding anniversary which spoke a lot about the couple Not everyone would choose to spend a milestone anniversary crammed into a mobile home with his wife and kids on a trip across the country 5

Who does that really Happy anniversary said Margie the couple s oldest daughter But we kids had such a great time We saw so much of the country This mobile home adventure was preceded by many other family vacations Chip recalls a 1966 trip into NYC with the Stacy family There were 12 people piled into one station wagon I m not even sure how that was possible said Chip You could barely turn your head to see the Empire State Building with that many people in the car There was also the 1968 infamous camping trip The Lee family minus Meghan who was not yet born together with George and Terry Stacy and their kids set out for an epic tour of the east coast They would see Georgetown Williamsburg Jamestown and the nation s capital It would be an educational experience for everyone I learned never to go to Virginia in August said Peter Chip Lee the eldest child It was horrible This time they had two station wagons each pulling a pop up camper It was hot and humid during those dog days of summer and it rained for 14 of their 16 day trip When they weren t outside braving the elements in raincoats with no ventilation they were tending to their pop up campers which had collapsed under the weight of all the rain In the middle of the chaos was Pete Lee smiling through it all My dad was having a great time He loved the adventure He was succeeding in his goal of showing his kids America said Chip It s this glass half full mentality that Chip remembers most about his dad happy even while surrounded with miserable and sweaty children Lee family visiting the Rocky Mountains 1977 6 Scharenberg s in 1975 Back row Pete Sr Rich Pete Front row Jack Ken Chip

Pete s parents Agnes and Peter Pete Lee as a baby x You should be ashamed of yourself When I was your age I was twice as old Peter Pete E Lee Jr was born October 26 1928 His father the first Peter Enos Lee had family on both sides that emigrated to the U S from England His father had come out of the British Army from Somerset England by 1890 Pete s mother was of Irish descent but whose family came to the U S from Scotland Peter Sr and Agnes married and set roots in Berwyn a suburb approximately 10 miles west of Chicago They managed to raise six children while the country was in the grips of the Great Depression Pete Jr lived in a modest 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house with his three brothers Ken Jack and Rich and two sisters Elaine and Nancy The brothers slept on a small unheated porch in two double beds with only army blankets and each other to keep warm said Pete s middle daughter Catie At least there was a roof but they still complain today about Uncle Ken stealing the sheets in winter said Chip The house was constantly filled with relatives a trend that would continue into Pete s adult life 7

Pete was a typical boy happiest while busy doing something active He was a boxer in high school though not the greatest student He went to St Francis of Rome grade school where he tried the patience of the nuns said Catie His mother dreamed of him attending St Ignatius High School which he did twice He was asked to leave both times In 1945 Pete traded in the books for the Navy He was 17 a year shy of the minimum age for a recruit He wanted to serve so badly he asked his mother to sign a waiver approving his service She did and off he went to the west coast decommissioning battleships After two years of service he was able to finish high school through the GI bill and attended DePaul University Though he didn t end up with a college degree he got something much better a wife He met Eleanor Marie Goodrich in 1949 The couple married May 24 1952 at St Thomas Aquinas parish in Chicago and had their reception at Tam O Shanter Country Club They were deeply in love but also strapped for cash They were poor young students and had to open all the wedding gift envelopes at the reception to put together the cash to pay for the reception said Catie The next day they drove to New Orleans and honeymooned there for a few days until their money ran out The young couple along with Eleanor s grandmother moved just six blocks from Pete s mom and dad in Berwyn to 1818 S Gunderson Avenue They lived on the top floor of a 3 flat and soon welcomed three kids Peter Enos III Chip Margaret Mary Margie and Catherine Marie Catie Much like during Pete s childhood families went between the two houses on Gunderson frequently Pete and Bob Burns 1945 Pete and Eleanor s wedding day May 24 1952

The happy couple 1952 Every Sunday the Lee family would gather around Pete Sr and Agnes s dinner table at 1237 Gunderson Avenue Leg of lamb with mint jelly and baking powder biscuits was a favorite As Pete s brothers and sisters married and had children of their own the crowd at Sunday dinner grew larger said Catie Throughout this hectic time in Berwyn balancing the demands of work and raising three young children Pete maintained a close relationship with his parents and the families of his brothers and sisters Cousins ran rampant and served as playmates We saw all the cousins on a regular basis since all of my dad s brothers and sisters lived in the Chicago area said Chip Family was one of his highest priorities and keeping everyone close was extremely important to him said Catie 9

x Success is all a matter of luck And the harder I work the luckier I get Pete Lee was a great businessman When he first got married he was working at U S Gypsum then Reinke Insulation selling building materials He also worked as a general contractor and got to know many people in the construction industry In 1960 he decided to buy a plot of land in nearby Glen Ellyn and build a house with the intention of selling it It was a darling split level built just on speculation Only it didn t sell said Margie The family couldn t afford both properties so in 1961 they traded Berwyn for Glen Ellyn and moved into the house at 594 Park Plaza That s how we ended up in Glen Ellyn said Margie He couldn t sell the house But we loved it We had the block to ourselves nothing but weeds It was fabulous We could just play in the weeds all day They had long been settled into Glen Ellyn when a surprise shook up the family Eleanor had another daughter 13 years after her last child Meghan Maureen was born in 1971 and was quickly deemed the frosting on her mom s 3 layer cake and the apple of her dad s eye Celebrating Pete and Eleanor s 25th wedding anniversary The men were all groomsmen and Pat was a bridesmaid Later on Pat s mom introduced Terry to George True story L R Eleanor and Pete Lee Pat and Bob Burns Terry and George Stacy and Lynn and Ken McVeigh 1977

Playing pool at Joyce Court Pete Peter Chip and Maddy Christmas 2003 Because of the age difference the baby of the family found herself in a unique position My brothers and sisters have been additional parents to me said Meghan I was raised by a committee At this time the Lee family lived in a small 2 bedroom 1 bathroom house at 574 Hillside Avenue in Glen Ellyn Chip slept in a closet with no heat which closely resembled his father s own bedroom growing up Pete and Eleanor knew they had outgrown the house and in 1973 built his dream house on Joyce Court It was a beautiful 5 bedroom 2 bath colonial that was designed by Pete and Eleanor to be a party house said Catie With their strong attachments to friends and family and a commitment to getting people together the house at 67 Joyce Court house became the site of many good parties complete with playing pool When my dad built the house the supporting beams in the basement had to be just so so as not to interfere with a pool cue said Margie It was designed to support many parties and it did Partygoers included family and close friends which included Monsignor Luke Father Cullen and Father Don Kocher We always had a priest over said Meghan Not sure how many other families party with their priests 11

x If it s worth doing it s worth doing right After building his dream house on Joyce Court Pete didn t rest on his laurels He was now sole owner of his own business Cellular Floors Incorporated CFI which specialized in lightweight concrete In the late 80 s he bought three adjacent parcels of land on the north edge of Glen Ellyn and built a townhome subdivision called Saddlewood It was Pete s crowning work achievement Meghan remembers an interesting perk during drives to school with her dad thanks to CFI He had a CB in his car and he d let me call Dorothy Johnson his assistant to let her know he was on the way said Meghan Pete also had bright red nylon jackets made and had each of his family member s named embroidered in white on the front He worked hard His work was important to him and he was proud of the company he built said Meghan Despite work demands Pete Lee made a point to be home for dinner Every night we had dinner together Meghan said I would hear the garage door go up and then I d hear him whistling while making a cocktail to go with his four saltines and piece of American cheese before sitting down to dinner When asked how they kept the tradition of nightly dinners going Meghan said It was just the way it was I never questioned it Hagar and Helga 1974 Pete and Eleanor 1981

First extended family gathering at Scharenberg s 1974 x Several different definitions of family Though Eleanor was sad to leave many good friends in Berwyn she and Pete made plenty more in Glen Ellyn Wherever my parents lived they had a huge group of friends The geography may have changed but the friends stayed the same said Chip Pete and Eleanor fell into a group that became so close they began calling themselves the Rat Pack Throughout the year each family took a holiday and threw a big party Pete ever patriotic had Memorial Day and loved John Phillips Souza s version of The Star Spangled Banner He d blare it through our house intercom He woke up the entire neighborhood playing it from the front porch speaker said Meghan Because of these strong friend bonds the Lee children viewed many in the group as Aunts and Uncles and often went vacationing together Some of Pete s closest friends were from childhood George Stacy Ken McVeigh and Pete met in grade school Bob Burns and Pete met on the playground at the age of 5 Bob Burns was Pete s closest friend Pete and Bob joined the navy together at 17 were the Best Man in each other s weddings vacationed together with families over the years played innumerable rounds of golf together and have always had each other s backs through thick and thin The roar of laughter was the musical score of their friendship and they have made each other laugh until they cried for more than eight decades 13

x Be a giver not a taker Pete became very involved in the Village of Glen Ellyn joining the Junior Chamber of Commerce The JayCees as they were known were beloved by everyone and organized an annual village fair For a fellow Rat Pack couple s 25th wedding anniversary Pete and Eleanor organized a parade through town They used one of Pete s flatbed work trucks as the base of the float and tied two exercise bikes to the bed The couple of honor their very dear friends Bill and Jane Bolger sat atop the bikes while the makeshift float drove all over town The song Bicycle Built for Two blared through the truck s speakers He was fun that way said Margie He truly believes that life is a celebration In addition to family friends and work commitments Pete has made his faith a priority For years he served as an usher at their local parish St Petronille St Pet s Each week he volunteered at the 5pm Saturday Mass which allowed him to go golfing the next morning Pete still attends weekday masses almost daily and continues conversation and reflections on the Bible readings with fellow parishioners over breakfast As if the couple needed any more St Pet s introduced them to even more lifelong friends St Pet s became the center of their faith life their children s school and the community where lifelong friendships were built said Catie 14 Pete with his brothers in 2002 L R Ken Jack Pete and Rich

Lee family vacation in South Carolina 2011 x It takes at least 3 4 hours to let go of Chicago Pete believed firmly in showing his kids America any chance he could In addition to the road trips along both coasts the Lee family took annual summer vacations sometimes with family friends The Lee and Burns families often vacationed together in Eagle River Wisconsin Chip remembers fishing up in the Northwoods with his dad I remember asking my dad why we had to drive so many hours to go fishing He told me that it takes at least 3 4 hours to let go of Chicago Traditions such as the Orange Juice Cup boat race pizza at the Burnt Bridge watching wild bears at the Dump and then going back to Old Ben s sailing the Sunfish or hunting the mighty muskellunge all became special memories for the Burns and Lee families Meghan remembers canoeing in Eagle River with her father when she was only 7 or 8 He was telling her tall tales of how the lake was filled with giant snapping turtles Then my dad tipped the canoe intentionally said Meghan The poor girl was in a panic screaming in fear My dad just said to me very calmly Stand up The water was only up to our knees said Meghan They also spent a Christmas in Eagle River in the late 70s I have great memories from that trip said Meghan We cut down a tree right outside strung popcorn all while a beautiful snowfall was coming down said Meghan Then we went snowmobiling and Catie almost killed me Whether this was true or not one thing is for certain the Lee family knows how to take a vacation 15

FamLee 1995 x For richer or poorer it s always good to have money In the late 1980s as the Lee siblings were starting their own families Pete Lee gave each of his children a monetary gift as seed money for an investment fund they would manage together as a family They needed a name to trade under so someone craftily came up with FamLee Investments The fund dried up but the moniker stuck and is now used for family gatherings We made a FamLee flag that comes with us on all events said Meghan Past FamLee gatherings have included golf outings trips to Pawleys Island Lake of the Ozarks and even a cruise in the Caribbean to celebrate Pete and Eleanor s 50th wedding anniversary Through the years Pete Lee has been blessed in life with family friends fortune and faith 16

Sailing with Margie at Old Ben s in 1967 He loved getting people together and keeping them together said Chip They left a very loving legacy that impacted us as kids said Meghan He did take risks in life and they paid off for him and us said Margie He is happiest when surrounded by friends family laughter and the chance to tell one of his many true stories said Catie FamLee 2012 17