Blaine's Life Sketch

The Life Sketch:
Blaine Nelson Lee, Jr.
b. April 3, 1946; d. January 24, 2009
Written by Joseph Robert Lee

Blaine Nelson Lee, Jr. was born on April 3, 1946 in Olympia Washington to Blaine Nelson Lee, Sr., and Thelma Marie Woods. Big sister Andrea was absolutely delighted to have a new brother and she called him “my little Candy bar.” When Dad was just 2 years old, his father Blaine Nelson Senior died tragically when he was hit by a car. Eventually his mother Thelma with four children married Elwyn Earl Reeder who provided and cared well for the family.

As a child growing up in Southern California, Dad developed a unique love of parades and the excitement of the parade environment, having enjoyed the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. In later years he might be found sleeping out on the sidewalk on University Ave. in Provo staking out a great spot for the 4th of July parade.

When he was 8 years old Blaine was baptized at the old pioneer built tabernacle in Salt Lake City. During that time Blaine and his brother Grant recall sneaking in the back doors of LDS church General Conference, climbing the back stairs and standing behind the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and singing right along with them.

Blaine always had a strong interest and natural talent in the musical arts. Grant remembers Blaine first getting a guitar, then bongo drums, and then a Ukalele, all before he was 12 years old, and he could actually play them! He picked up piano quickly and developed the uncanny gift to be able to play any identifiable tune by ear. Many of us have enjoyed his music box style, a talent he willing shared with others all his life. Such musical ability to sing and play music must have passed on through the Lee DNA as several of Blaine’s sons are outstanding singers, and musicians. Later when Dad attended BYU he would minor in music, participate in opera, conduct choirs, he even played “Major Domo” in the musical Camelot, BUT he was the understudy for Sir Lancelot, a fact he never failed to emphasize to us kids. Sister Andrea recalls Blaine as a freshman and returned missionary causing her roommates to swoon and faint with Dad’s guitar playing and vabrado.

Blaine always loved public speaking; when he won a speech contest as a teenager he may well have discovered his ability to influence others for good with his passion and oratory skills.

Blaine graduated from Covina high school where he excelled Academically, even tutoring classmates. He participated in both Track and Cross Country, but funny enough Blaine has actually been asked a number of times as an adult “Which NFL team did you play for?”

Blaine attended BYU briefly before being called to serve in the Western States mission. When he returned his continued his studies in psychology and met Shawny Christian from Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho, and they were married in the Idaho Falls Temple September 6, 1968 after Blaine had spent the summer touring with the BYU program bureau under the direction of the legendary Janie Thompson where he sung and danced across many countries in the orient often doing USO shows for active duty soldiers serving in Vietnam. He finished his BYU undergraduate education with Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

As the Vietnam war raged on, Blaine entered the Air Force ROTC, as he completed his Master’s degree in Educational Psychology at BYU. It was there that first child Blaine Christian was born. In 1972, Blaine entered active duty in the Air Force as a second lieutenant, serving three years at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. There Benjamin David and Adam Nelson were born. His next assignment was at the US Air Force Academy in Çolorado Springs, CO. Daughter Michal and son Joseph Robert were added to the family in Colorado. He advanced from a reserve first lieutenant to a regular commission captain while at the Academy. After 6 ½ years in the Air Force, the family returned to civilian life. Blaine took the job of principal at Provo Canyon Boy’s School and Joshua Ammon and Casey Kimball were born. Three years later he took a teaching position at Utah Valley State College teaching in the business school and in 1983 and moved the family to a country hill side home in Salem, Utah where his family has resided for almost 26 years. While teaching at UVSC Blaine completed his Ph.D, graduating from the University of Texas, at Austin in Instructional Design.

Eventually Blaine ventured out on his own, testing the waters as a private consultant for a few years calling himself a “life coach.” It was then he discovered his natural gift of teaching and counseling. While in Salem, Abraham Daniel, and daughter Eliza were added to the ever growing brood. While he was freelance consulting, he met Stephen R. Covey which led to a 20 year career as a leadership consultant with Covey Leadership Center which later became Franklin Covey. In that capacity he consulted 1 on 1 with business leaders in large and small companies, foreign and domestic government agencies, the armed forces, not for profit groups, and religious organizations, helping each to face and overcome business and human capital challenges and make the most of opportunities. Oh yes, and adding children Gabriel Enoch, daughter Celeste, and Isaac Peter to complete the family, an even dozen!

With his depth of knowledge and experience, his personal style and warm approach, Dad influenced countless tens of thousands as he traveled 1/3 of million miles annually around the world. He wrote a book, The Power Principle, Influence with Honor, which sold 256,000 copies and helped many people learn that true power and influence comes from personal character, by gentleness and mutual respect, and not coersive action. When people left Dad’s seminars they often commented that they felt a renewed hope, having gained new knowledge that had real life application. Some of Dad’s proudest work moments came during these past few years where he taught high school students in Musketeen, Iowa, principles of leadership and how they could change the world for good. Dad also loved his custom off-site week long business seminars that he conducted at Sundance Ski Resort and at the Homestead, where he utilized the outdoor classroom.

We can all remember Dad conducting radio and phone interviews out in his office. I have to smile because I know personally he conducted most of those interviews in his in his sweats. I remember one day he came into the kitchen telling me that he had completed a very important telephone conference call with several big city businessmen who were all around a conference table. I looked at him with his sweat suit on, his disheveled morning hair, unshaven, and in my “know it all” teen-age way said, “Dad don’t you think if those men are listening to your words, wearing their best business suits, you should do the same?” He looked at me incredulously, but must have listened cause the next conference call I observed he was wearing the same red sweat suit, but had shaved and combed his hair.

So it was living with dad. He worked very hard to do “good” and make a positive difference in the world. He really enjoyed serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teaching, giving blessings, and working in Administration, and was well versed in the scriptures. I remember being his hometeaching companion where he exhibited a great sense of humor and love for his fellow church members. Dad served as a scoutmaster where he taught his scouts to take great pride in their troop and their cheers. I will never forget the night Dad “showed” his boys how a real man could sleep out in the snow without a sleeping bag or tent. The boys brought their tents and double bags and set them up in the yard. Dad then emerged in a fluorescent orange, artic down suit with enormous white rubber insulated arctic boots. Dad trudged through the knee deep snow, gave the scouts a speech, then flopped down in the snow, crossed his arms, and went to sleep. Somehow he actually lived through the night unfrozen.

Perhaps we children will remember Dad most for his love of music. Dad seemed most comfortable as a parent when he gathered us kids around the piano and we would sing musical greats from Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and many others.

I’ll treasure the times when Dad came upstairs to our bedroom to play his guitar and get us to sleep -- songs like BlackBird Blackbird, the Marvelous Toy, the Donut Song, 500 miles, Puff the Magic Dragon, Turn Around, and Leaving on a Jet Plane.

Though Dad traveled extensively the last 20 years, I remember him frequently arriving home and on Saturday evening and he would vacuum and mop the kitchen floor late while watching the Lawrence Welk Show, only to depart again Sunday after church.

Dad was a large man and enjoyed food. If most of us were asked our favorite foods, we might say cookies, pizza or Mexican food. Dad loved fresh grapefruit, cut tomatoes, vinegar and celery, and beef stick and cheese. He loved cool drinks, particularly the citrus soda’s Squirt and Fresca, and if at a restaurant would be sure to ask for “no ice” so he could have more beverage.

Dad loved the water. On our family vacations at Priest Lake Idaho growing up we would watch his large swimming form and comment on the great white whale in the lake.

Dad admitted he was not perfect, being tormented by what Shakespeare’s Hamlet called the vainess and the frailties and the foolishness of men. A crowning achievement in Dad’s life occurred on September 23, 2007, when he had gospel blessings restored after a season away from full fellowship in the church. Of the occasion he wrote,


“Dear Family, I am very humble and grateful to share with you that today I met with Elder Coleman of the Seventy, and had the glorious Privilege of having priesthood, patriarchal and personal blessings restored to me… If there are offenses lingering, I beg your forgiveness as I continue to become a man of God, worthy, healed, and whole. I want to make amends whenever and wherever possible.”

Well Dad, in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith to William W. Phelps, “Come on dear brother, since the war is past, for friends at first, are Friends again at last.” The bitter cup has been drunk for you, and you have drunk heavily from that bitter cup. I will personally look forward to the day, many years from now, to greet you again and embrace you as brothers before the Lord. Thank you Dad for trying to the end.

Blaine Nelson Lee, Jr., passed away at his home in Pleasant Grove, Utah, on January 24, 2009, of natural causes.

Blaine is survived by his children: Blaine Christian Lee, Benjamin David Lee, Adam Nelson Lee, Michal Lee Wride, Joseph Robert Lee, Joshua Ammon Lee, Casey Kimball Lee, Abraham Daniel Lee, Eliza Lee Billadeau, Gabriel Enoch Lee, Celeste Lee, Isaac Peter Lee, and 31 grand children.


He is also survived by his parents Elwyn and Thelma Lee Reeder of Pleasant Grove Utah, his siblings Andrea Lee Conley of Pleasant Grove, Utah; Grant Nolan Lee of Meridian, Idaho; Roland Loren Lee, Luann Reeder Forest, Marsha Reeder Bowler, and Lorin E. Reeder of St. George, Utah, and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Blaine Nelson Lee, Sr.

We wondered if any of us would ever fill our Dad’s shoes, but since he wore a size 15, it is not likely. God be with you till we meet again our Father, Son, Brother, and friend.