Lee Trotter's Obituary
Leland Ray “Lee” Trotter, 84, of Tacoma, passed away October 24, 2020, in Puyallup, Washington following a brief illness. Lee had previously weathered many health storms, including his very successful heart transplant in 2001, and his loved ones are so thankful for those extra 19 years.
Lee was born September 15, 1936, in Centralia, Washington, just one week after his parents and grandparents moved from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His parents, William and Mabel Trotter, along with his Trotter grandparents lived on a farm outside of Chehalis until World War II began. They then moved to a cabin camp in Olympia, Washington. Lee’s father and grandfather were both employed on Fort Lewis while his mother and grandmother managed the cabins and a tiny store. After the war ended, Lee, his parents, and his younger sister, Barbara, moved to Fort Lewis, where they lived just a few years before moving to Tacoma.
In the summer of 1957, on a blind date, Lee met Jo Ann Marie Rosenquist. On March 28, 1958, the pair were married. They started their married life in a little apartment near Wright’s Park, moving to a house in South Tacoma in the early 1960s. Lee and Jo Ann raised their three girls there, moving to a house with land in the Spanaway area in 1983. Their marriage lasted over 52 years, until Jo Ann’s death in 2010.
Lee attended McCarver Junior High and Stadium High School in Tacoma. He entered the army in 1954. Two years later he returned to Tacoma, attending the University of Puget Sound, majoring in English.
Lee held a variety of jobs throughout his life, from paper carrier to berry picker to pickle packer to fire watch, before taking a position with Puget Sound Bank. He began in collections, eventually moving into computers as the technology advanced. Lee was instrumental in bringing this technology to banking in Tacoma. The Frank Russell Company recognized Lee’s skill set and offered him a position in 1978, beginning the next phase of his professional life. Lee retired from Russell in 1996 as Senior Vice President: Director of Systems Development.
Lee loved to travel. He enjoyed trips with his parents and grandparents, with his wife and daughters, with groups of friends and family both large and small, with just he and Jo Ann, and later, trips with his girlfriend, Evelyn Pevey. He visited most of the fifty states, only missing a few. The family took many spring trips to the beach. So many that the girls thought the Easter Bunny possibly lived there. Yellowstone was a favorite place to go in any season, Civil War battlefields were visited whenever possible, and a trip to Canada to see the Northern Lights was a highlight. Lee so enjoyed what was to be his “once in a lifetime” Colorado River boat trip through the Grand Canyon that he repeated it the following year with his daughter, Chris. Back roads were his preferred method of car travel, and he had a particular fondness for poorly-maintained logging roads.
Outdoor activities filled a lot of Lee’s time. A lot. Favorites included hunting, fishing, hiking, white water rafting, boating, camping, backpacking, clam digging, oyster picking, shrimping, deadheading rhododendrons, and huckleberry picking. Family events were scheduled around hunting and fishing seasons. Lee liked to share many of these activities with other people, including his daughters. How many girls had a fishing pole or a clam shovel of their very own in the 1970s?
Lee liked baseball. He watched the Seattle Mariners play when they were on TV, listened to them on the radio when they were not, and enjoyed attending games at both the Kingdome and Safeco Field. He was the type of fan who kept his own scorecard at the game. Lee visited many of the major league ballparks around the country, whether the Mariners were playing or not. He
was in the stands when Edgar hit the double and Griffey crossed home plate. Lee was no fair-weather fan, supporting his team no matter where they were in the standings.
Lee supported many causes and organizations. Some of his favorites were the Civil War Trust, the Sierra Club, and Ducks Unlimited. He also supported charities dealing with education, clean water, and health issues. His daughters were once tempted to create a “Support a College Student” charity to see if he would bite, but they didn’t know how to make preprinted address labels in the late 1980s, and those seem to be a charity requirement.
Lee enjoyed going to the theater. He and Jo Ann were season ticket holders at the Tacoma Actors Guild from the first season until the last. Lee was an avid reader, enjoying Civil War history, mysteries, and thrillers.
Lee connected with Evelyn Pevey, a former high school classmate of his sister’s, in 2014. They spent the last six years together, frequently taking road trips or spending time at the beach digging clams. Lee’s daughters very much appreciate the love, companionship, and support Evelyn provided.
Lee is survived by daughters, Chris Trotter of Spanaway, Susanne Trotter of Puyallup, Jen Milke (Doug) of Puyallup, and by his two grandsons, Anderson and Noah Milke. He will also be remembered warmly by numerous cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Lee was predeceased by his wife, Jo Ann Trotter, in 2010 and his younger sister, Barbara May Jack, in 2017.
There will be a private family service at Mountain View in Lakewood, Washington. Once it is safe to gather in groups, all will be welcome to a celebration of life. There will be pie.
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