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RAPID RIVER -- Roy W. Lee, age 84, of Rapid River passed away Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Transitions Assisted Living in Gladstone.
Roy was born at St. Francis hospital in Escanaba, Michigan and lived within 2 city blocks of that facility for the next 22 years. As a young child he loved tinkering, always more interested in how something worked rather than actually using it as a plaything.
As Roy grew older his tinkering became a big part of his life. He liked nothing better than sticking his head and hands under the hood of any motorized vehicle to see how it worked, not just the family vehicle but those of his friends as well.
Roy attended every educational year of school in the Escanaba, Michigan school system, kindergarten through high school. Following his graduation he attended Northern Michigan graduating with a degree in Education 1965.
After graduating from Northern, he accepted a teaching position with the Lake Orion, Michigan school system and spent the next 38 years as a math teacher in that system, ultimately heading the math department. He loved teaching and reaching out to young minds to help them grow.
During those years, Roy also built two different houses for he and his family in Rochester, Michigan. He continued his home building efforts when he moved back to the UP and built his own log cabin in the midst of the family tract in the deep forest of the Hiawatha National Forest.
Roy married Bonnie Grasser on March 9, 1968 and their marriage flourished for the next 58 years. He is survived by his wife Bonnie, son Brook, son Christopher and his wife Amanda (Jenkins), granddaughter Madison, grandson Jackson, brother Jon and Gretchen ( Triplett), brother Dan and Cindy (Hembree), and nieces and nephews.
There will be no funeral services. Instead, please take a few moments to remember Roy. The Skradski Family Funeral Homes of Delta County are assisting the Lee family.
