Marvin Lee

Tuesday, March 16, 2021 1:26 am

Marvin Lee died Feb. 17, 2021 undergoing heart valve replacement surgery, one week short of his 81st birthday.

He was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan on Feb. 24, 1940, the first child of Pastor Milo Lee of Decorah, Iowa and Agnes (Roen) Lee of Lake Alma, Saskatchewan. He spent parts of his childhood in Hingham, Montana, and St. Louis, Missouri, before graduating from high school in Renville, Minnesota, in 1958.

Strong family ties to Luther College and Decorah led him to pursue his education there, where he majored in English and became an outstanding football player. After graduating in 1962, he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He played for parts of three seasons in the CFL including a year under Bud Grant, who later became famous as coach of the Minnesota Vikings. After a knee injury ended his football career, he moved on to graduate study in English, first at Utah State and then at the University of Missouri, completing his PhD in 1973. He then accepted an offer to go to Calgary, Alberta, to join one of his former professors in a consulting business that gave writing seminars for groups of government and business employees throughout Canada and the States. He married Ruth Haugen on August 19, 1977 in Faith Lutheran Church in Calgary. They were blessed with three children. Marvin went on to hold a number of teaching and administrative positions at colleges in Camrose and Hinton, Alberta, retiring in 2006.

Besides being a very engaged parent and a doting grandpa, Marv’s many interests made him a constant reader, avid gardener, skilled woodworker, and enthusiastic traveler. Among his more memorable experiences abroad were a two-month tour of the Far East, teaching three years in the Azores Islands, walking the Compostela pilgrimage route in Spain, and trips to see relatives in Norway. He was always active in his church and community, singing in a Men’s Chorus, promoting bilingual education, and even serving as substitute preacher in his church. He continued his lifelong connection with sports, refereeing and coaching soccer games, enjoying downhill skiing and golf, not to mention Edmonton Eskimos football games for which he and Ruth had season tickets.

He is survived by his wife Ruth (Haugen) Lee; son Erik (Kaitlin); daughters Krista (Andras Hos) and Grete (Matt) Ruryk; grandchildren Amelia, Elliot, and Leela; sister Dixie (Paul) Hanson; brothers Arland (Kristine) and David; two nieces and seven nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister Carol (1941), father Milo (2003), sister Lorna (2007), and mother Agnes (2010).