Gilbert Franklin "Frank" Lee Jr.

Gilbert Franklin (Frank) Lee, Jr., 94, passed away Monday August 19, 2024, at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. He was born August 29, 1929, in Glasgow, KY, the eldest son of the late Gilbert F. Lee, Sr. and Ada Wood McQuown Lee. 

Frank's Lee family roots, in what became Kentucky, began when they migrated here from Virginia in the 1770's and settled along Panther Creek in S/E Daviess County. Some came by way of Cumberland Gap, others by way of Pennsylvania and down the Ohio River. Frank's parents moved from Glasgow back to his father's home in Owensboro when Frank was 2 years old. He began his formal education at Longfellow grade school and graduated from Owensboro High School in 1947, attended the University of Kentucky for a year and a half, then Frank left home and moved to Los Angeles, California where he graduated with honors with a B.S. degree from University of California Los Angeles by going to night school and working days. He also obtained his lifetime teaching credentials and taught Police Science courses for five years at Los Angeles Valley College.

Shortly after moving to California, he met his first wife and together they raised a family of four children.

Frank was an Army veteran and saw combat in the Korean war where he served as a Counterintelligence Corps agent. After his honorable discharge, Frank spent 25 years on the Los Angeles California Police Department. The final 16 years were in the Detective Bureau where he gained the ranking of Detective III and supervised the West Valley Division Burglary Detail. That and his top-secret security clearance gave him the honor (along with secret service agents) of being the personal bodyguard for President Richard Nixon when Nixon hosted a Party in Los Angeles for the three astronauts who were the first humans to land on the moon. Frank was also the personal bodyguard for future president Ronald Reagan when Reagan campaigned in Los Angeles while running for Governor of California.

After retirement from LAPD at age 50, and now being single as he and his wife had divorced, Frank devoted his time to golf, tennis, skiing, backpacking in the Sierra Mountains of California with his now adult children, long distance bicycling (he was a member of the Los Angeles Wheelmen Bicycle Club), raising and training horses, primarily with his daughter Janet, also doing extensive genealogical research and traveling. He explored all fifty U.S. States (mostly by back roads) and all the Provinces of Canada. Frank's father had passed away, so Frank took his mother with him on many of his trips.

In 1986 Frank returned to Owensboro to attend his high school's 39th class reunion. At the reunion, he was re-introduced to classmate Thelma Katherine McCarty Fiorella. He asked her to dance, there was instant attraction to each other, and in less than a year they were married in Hawaii. Together they retraveled all fifty states and the provinces of Canada plus much of Europe by rental car and made their home in the San Diego area of Southern California. In 2001 they returned to live in Owensboro, KY.

Frank was a member of Windridge C.C., Owensboro Christian Church, American Legion Post 381 in California, and was a Kentucky Colonel.

Along with his parents, he was also preceded in death by his first wife, Ethel Lorraine (Lorri) Moore Nalley Lee; and his second wife, Thelma Katherine McCarty Fiorella Lee; a daughter, Chris Smith; a daughter-in-law, Judy Lee ; two sisters, Virginia Lee McIntosh (Shelby) and Elsie Lee.

He is survived by three of his four children, Michael E. Lee of West Sacramento, California; Bruce F. Lee of Jamestown, California and Pahoa, Hawaii, and Janet L. Lee of Orangevale, California; four step-children, Michael A. Fiorella (Cindy) of Owensboro, KY, Gregory A. Fiorella (Patricia) of Hopkinsville, Ky, Marcy Fiorella Batke (Dale) of Medina, OH, and Carla Fiorella Baldan (Bill) of Lexington, KY; 17 grandchildren; 35 great grandchildren; 20 great-great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-great grandchildren; a brother, Phillip M. Lee (Linda) of Prescott, AZ; and a special cousin, Dianne Baber here in Owensboro.

The memorial service for Frank Lee will be noon Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory where visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. until time of the service on Wednesday. The burial will be in the Field of Honor at Owensboro Memorial Gardens with full military honors.

Memories and condolences for the family of Frank Lee may be left at www.glenncares.com.