Elroy Lee

Elroy Blanchette Lee Sr. was an Educator, a Mentor, a Leader, and a Civil Rights Activist. He was sophisticated, intelligent, sociable, and humorous. Amongst all other things, Elroy was mostly known as daddy, grandpa, brother, uncle, and a good friend to many. These few attributes only scratch the surface of who he had become in his 85 years of life.

Elroy Lee was born to the March Sr. and Pearl Frazier Lee on November 11, 1935 in Pompano Beach, Florida. He was the eldest of four children. At a young age, he showed discipline working on a farm harvesting beans and peppers and working at a grocery store all while attending school. He graduated from Blanche Ely High School in 1955.  He attended Langston University on a football scholarship, pledged the Beta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology.  In 1960, Elroy was drafted to the US Armed Forces where he served as a medical specialist and played football. After an honorable discharge from the army in 1962, he continued to work in the medical field in Albany, New York as a research assistant. In 1964, Elroy moved to Denver, Colorado and continued his work in the medical field until he was hired as a teacher. In the interim, Elroy married Evelyn Hathorn and to this union had three daughters, Dorellyn, Jacquelyn and Michelle.

Elroy was a lifelong learner and his humble beginnings in agriculture manifested in his education. In 1966 he began teaching for Denver Public Schools. While teaching math and science at various public schools in Denver (Gove Jr. High, Merrill Jr. High, Thomas Jefferson High, Manuel High, North High and George Washington High) for over 26 years, he earned a Masters of Science in Botany from Pittsburg State University and completed Ph.D. course work in Agronomy at Colorado State University. He also received an auto mechanic license.  Elroy was a clotheshorse and a seamster, making dress shirts, matching ties, and pocket squares. He was known as the best dresser in the Denver Public School System.  Elroy had a passion for books and tools; and appreciated the challenge to applied the knowledge he gained from reading into action. He was considered a Jack of all trades. He would rather do it himself instead of paying someone to do it.  His most profound projects were building a six-car garage for his mechanic endeavors and rebuilding an engine for a 1978 Cutlass Supreme.

After retirement in 1992, Elroy continued to live a colorful life.  He met Andrea Gamble and they had two children, Mareshia and Elroy Jr. He also dabbled in his many hobbies: working on cars, building and restoring, photography, reading, gardening and traveling.  Elroy was very adventurous. At the age of 70, he received his motorcycle license and rode solo to and from Miami, Florida from Denver Colorado visiting family and friends along the way.

Elroy loved life. He was a witty intellectual and had an excellent command over the English language. Many thought he was an English teacher because one of his pet peeves was people speaking improper grammar: he was quick to correct you. Elroy was also a civil rights activist.  He endured racial discrimination throughout his life and was falsely arrested on three different occasions, in which the last incident resulted in Elroy filing a lawsuit against three police officers with the U.S District Court in Denver. Instead of accepting a settlement from the City of Denver, Elroy continued his civil rights lawsuit, to no avail, to protest against police brutality. His unwavering stance was documented by local newspapers, and his story will long be told.

To know Elroy was to love him. He is preceded in death by March Lee Sr, Pearl Lee, one sister, Clara Lee Love and two brothers Ulysses Lee and March Lee Jr.

Elroy Blanchette Lee departed this life on June 8, 2021.  His memory and legacy will be forever cherished by his five children, Dorellyn Lee of Missouri City, Texas, Jacquelyn Terroade (Bobby) of Denver Colorado, Dr. Michelle Lee of Las Vegas, Nevada, Mareshia Lee and Elroy Lee, Jr. both of Denver, Colorado; five grandchildren, Jordan (Rebecca), Dorellyn, Triston, Ravon, and J’Lynn; one great grandson Dorian; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and special friends Robbie Lee Holloway, Robert Flakes, Joe Johnson (Carrie), Charles Jones and Barbara Williams.