LEE OELKE

It is with profound shock and sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Lee Stephen Oelke at the age of 58.
Lee was born on Sept. 8, 1957 in Pembroke, Ont. He often talked about growing up in the Ottawa Valley and the antics of him and his boyhood friends.
Lee moved to Fort Frances, Ont. in 1981 to begin his career with Bell Canada. He worked at Bell for nearly 20 years.
Lee then opened a cabinet business in Thunder Bay, Ont. His love of Rainy Lake pulled at his heartstrings, however, and Lee moved back to Fort Frances. He worked at carpentry, then drove truck for Taylor International, and currently was driving milk truck for Derald McCool.
With his outgoing character and quirky sense of humour, Lee made friends quickly and had everyone laughing wherever he went. He was a perfectionist and any project was done with close scrutiny of every detail.
He loved Rainy Lake and always wanted a cabin on the lake, but settled with the beautiful pond, deck, and gardens he made in the back yard.
In past years, he was an avid fisherman in summer and toured the area on snowmachine in winter. His latest hobby was collecting “old rust,” and his collection of special treasures was his passion.
Lee is survived by June Caul, his partner of eight years; June’s children, Jacquee (Curt) Loerzel and Jeff (Kyla) Savage; and his beloved grandchildren, Aiden Loerzel, Ayanna Savage, and Aric and Ben Chapman.
Lee also is survived by his mother, Doris; brother, Mark (Denise) Oelke; and sisters, Wendy (Mark Trahan) and Shelley Tabbert (Bill).
His nieces and nephews, Tiffany, Alex, Tahra, Brandy, Myles, Eric, and Jessica, were so very special to him and Lee always kept in contact with them. Many humorous texts were sent back and forth.
Funeral services will be held Thursday Sept. 24, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Frances.
Internment will take place in Riverview Cemetery in Fort Frances.
The honorary pallbearers will be Curt Loerzel, Jeff Savage, Aiden Loerzel, Ayanna Savage, Frank Taylor, Frank Fraser, Stacy Kempf, Ed Taylor, Ron Taylor, Diane Maxey, and Garnett Beck.
In memoriam donations may be made to the Zion Lutheran Church or Fort Frances Community Chest.