• Courtesy Photo
• Lee Bronson

Leman “Lee” Frederic Bronson died on Friday, October 30, 2020, at the McClure Miller Respite House, well loved and well cared for.

Born in Waterbury, Conn., on June 26, 1934, he was predeceased by his parents, Leman Cutler Bronson and Helen Lanyon Bronson, and by his sister Charlene Benton of Guilford, Conn.

He is survived by his wife, Melinda White-Bronson, of Burlington, Vt.; his daughter Amanda Pryor of Silver Lake, N.H., and her two children, Charlie and Eleanor; his daughter Abby Bronson of Bethesda, Md., and her son, Theodore; his son, Leman C. “Tiger” Bronson, of Monkton, Vt., and his wife, Vicki, and daughter, Elena; and his beloved nieces and nephews.

Lee worked one job or another starting when he was 9, from picking up bottles for a local park keeper, pin spotting in a duck-pin alley and caddying at a golf course to working in machine shops and managing a soda shop during college.

Initially, he was in the trades program at high school, following his father toward machine shop work, but he changed midway, aiming instead for a degree in engineering. He became a voracious reader and lifelong curious appreciator of life and the world.

He attended the University of Connecticut, living at home all through college, then married his sweetheart, Gwendolyn Tibbitts, upon graduation. This marriage brought about three wonderful children.

After three years of Army service at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., he found work with GE in Burlington, where he had contacts from his Army service years.

He loved his coworkers at GE but tired of perfecting means of killing, so he applied for work at IBM, where he worked for many happy years. Here he rose to become a fourth-level engineer manager for international manufacturing. This required travel to Europe and the Far East and culminated in three and a half years of living in Japan, working for IBM.

Upon his return to the U.S., Lee took early retirement — and “retired” into a busy life, rehabbing an old house on Lakeview Terrace and becoming engaged in many community activities.

Friends of Lee and his family are invited to a “flow-through Celebration of Life” (not a gathering) on Saturday, November 7, at 69 Lakeview Terrace in Burlington.

Please come take a pilgrimage through Lee’s garden. The walk-through might take 20 minutes. Come according to the following plan.

Come between noon and 1 p.m. if you were a friend of his; or a friend of Amanda, Abby or Tiger; or a neighbor or coworker during his “Shelburne Years,” 1961 to 1990: GE, IBM, Boy Scouts, Yacht Club, Pony Club, BAHA Youth Hockey, Corny Capers, Torger Tolkle Cross Country Skiing, golf at Kwiniaska, a meal at the Pump House — however you knew him.

Come between 1 and 2 p.m. if you were a friend after 1990. Did you work or volunteer at Respite House, where he did maintenance as a volunteer? Did you recently meet Lee and Melinda at Respite House? Did you sing in St. Paul’s choir or work on the Rock Point Board? Do you know him through another church friendship? Were you on the board with him when City Market moved from North Winooski Avenue to its down-town home? Did you sing in the South County Chorus or Burlington Choral Society? Did you work with him at Habitat for Humanity?

Come between 2 and 3 p.m. if you know him as a Lakeview Terrace neighbor; a member of Silver Foxes, FOAMH, Intervale Community Farm, Great Harvest Bakery or Brian’s Auto; or as Melinda’s friend. Have you worked for Peregrine on one of the renovations of his house, or did he pick your brain for ideas on how to do the original restoration?

If the time we have outlined does not work, come when you can. We are trying to spread out the arrivals so we don’t bunch up in groups.

Wear a mask. Keep your distance from others. Disperse after the walk-through. Go out into the world to spread the love; don’t stick around to spread COVID-19.

Donations in Lee’s memory can be given to McClure Miller Respite House, 3113 Roosevelt Hwy., Colchester, VT 05446.

Arrangements are entrusted to the care of the Cremation Society of Chittenden County a division of the Ready Funeral Home. Please visit cremationsocietycc.com.