PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
Chuck Lee meets with a trio of students on the CTEC campus.
FILE PHOTO, Keizertimes
LEGACY: ‘He just fell in love
with the town’ Continued from page A1
the body's involuntary (autonomic) func-
tions, including blood pressure, breathing,
and motor control — there is currently no
cure for the disease.
Even with a crippling disease ravaging
through his body, Lee was a fighter until
the end according to his wife.
“He was a fighter. That was how he lived
his life. He was always fighting to raise the
last dollar during a fundraiser and he was
fighting through the last days of his life,”
Krina Lee said. “He was persistent. He had
tenacity.”
Lee was born and raised in Seattle,
Wash. and was hired at the age of 25 to
become the principal of St. Alphonsus
School, making him the youngest Catholic
school principal in Washington.
Despite being from Washington, the
city of Keizer, or in his words “God's coun-
try,” was the place he was most fond of.
“He just fell in love with the town,”
Krina Lee said
In 1995, Lee founded Blanchet and
became president of the school two years
later — a role he served in until 2013. Under
his direction, Lee helped Blanchet triple
their enrollment and raised over $16 mil-
lion for tuition assistance, renovations and
school programs — Blanchet has estab-
lished a scholarship fund in Lee's name.
The summer before the school opened,
Lee delivered Blanchet sweatshirts to
every student in the school as an official
welcoming gift. For his entire tenure at
Blanchet, Lee also made it a tradition to
deliver handwritten notes of encourage-
ment to every teacher in the school.
“I think it was a way for him to reveal how
much he cared,” Krina said. “Appreciating
people and letting them know that they are
supported was very important to him.”
It didn't take long for Lee to become
a fixture in the Keizer community. Using
the Volcanoes Stadium parking lot to host
a fundraiser for Blanchet, Lee became
close with Salem-Keizer Volcanoes owner
Jerry Walker, initially bonding over their
mutual love of the Washington Huskies.
Lee wound up sponsoring Walker in the
Catholic Church and later became his
godfather.
Lee and Walker would work together
for the next 25 years to host fundraisers
for Blanchet, as well as other philanthropic
activities in the area.
“Chuck was a visionary who was able to
think big and possessed the unique ability
to deliver results. His ideas became reality.
A man of faith, who earned the respect of
the longtime leaders of the community by
doing what he said with honesty and integ-
rity,” Walker said.
Catholic education was incredibly
important to Lee, but so was being an
active citizen, which is why Lee ran for a
seat on Keizer City Council in 2001 — Lee
was elected and served on the council for
six years. He also ran for mayor unsuccess-
fully in 2006.
“He loved politics and he loved running
for office. He felt like it was his responsibil-
ity to show kids that it was important to be
a part of the community you live in,” for-
mer Keizer Mayor Lore Christopher said.
“When he took charge of a project, you
knew you could rely on him to get the job
done.”
At the Keizer City Council meeting
on Monday, Sept. 20, Keizer Mayor Cathy
Clark proclaimed Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021 as
a day of remembrance and celebration of
the life and achievements of Lee.
“He was all about the kids. He had a fab-
ulously constructive, get-it-done attitude,
and I appreciate the legacy that he has
left,” Clark said.
“My dad always said to leave something
better than you found it, and I think that
Chuck Lee certainly did that,” Councilor
Ross Day added.
After being a city councilor for six
years, Lee decided that he wanted to serve
in a different capacity as a member of
the Salem-Keizer School Board. Lee was
elected to represent Zone 6 (Keizer) on
the board, where he served three terms
from 2007 to 2019. In 2014, Lee played
a role in the hiring of current district
Superintendent Christy Perry.
“Chuck was an amazing community
leader. In the boardroom he always worked
to bring people together. He was focused
on students and what was best for the dis-
trict in supporting students. He always
cared for others before himself. An incredi-
ble leader and human,” Perry said.
Diversity and inclusion were at the
core of Lee's motivation as a principal and
school board member.