Lee N. McMillion ’56

Lee died Nov. 30, 2023, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

He came to Princeton from Wheaton, Ill. He majored in chemical engineering, played horn in the band, joined Campus Club, and was in the NROTC.

Lee served in the Navy as a supply officer for six years in Pearl Harbor, California, and Kentucky. NASA hired him to join the Mercury team designing the first astronaut spacesuit, after which he worked in intelligence gathering for 27 years. A consummate technologist, Lee had a special skill for project management, where his infectious enthusiasm enabled him to build effective teams. He remained in demand as a project consultant.

Lee could never talk about his work at home, but he loved conversing about everything else. He delighted in the deep history of Virginia and Washington, D.C., where he lived for 50 years. Even as Alzheimer’s affected him, his affection for people, his irresistible joy, good humor, and love of music were never lost.

Lee is survived by his wife, Lynn, whom he met on a blind date and married right after graduation; daughters Karen and Amy ’80; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson.