Robert Oliver Lee, who retired in 1988 as an engineer at Allied Chemical in Syracuse, NY, died peacefully January 23, 2014, in hospice care in Brooksville, FL. He was 88 years old. The son of Harrison Morton Lee, a tenant farmer and Maude Winifred Lee, a school teacher in the years before marriage, he was born in Marcellus, NY in 1925. Widowed at an early age, his mother lived with the family in Constantia, NY. Mr. Lee began a long career at Allied Chemical soon after his discharge from the U.S. Army, where he served in Europe during World War II. He worked his way up from a job cleaning out the company's railroad tank cars to a career as a Technical Service engineer specializing in water treatment on the Tech Service team based in Solvay, NY. He was active in the Methodist Church, serving as Lay Leader in the Constantia, NY church for many years as well as serving in leadership in the First United Methodist Church in Brooksville, FL in the 24 years that he lived in that city after retirement. "Bob" as everyone knew him, traveled extensively with Beverly, his devoted wife of 59 years, both on motorcycle and in motor homes. Mrs. Lee died in hospice in Brooksville in 2009. As a widower, Mr. Lee remained independent and active until a few weeks before his death. Survivors include four children: Kevin Lee of Davis, CA, James Lee of Salem, OR, Terry Lee of Newport News, VA, Margaret J. Osborne of Lynchburg, VA; cousin, Elsie Hilliard of Brooksville, FL; nine grandchildren. A daughter, Patricia Dwyer; and a grandson, Robert Dwyer, both of Syracuse, NY, preceded him in death in different years. Visitation for friends will be 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, February 1, 2014 at First United Methodist Church with services beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Brooksville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to HPH Hospice. ARRANGEMENTS BY MERRITT FUNERAL HOME BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA (352) 796-6699 "Family Owned & Operated" www.merrittfuneral.com Date of Death: January 23, 2014