Lee, a North Carolina native and a UNC “faculty brat,” came to Princeton from Episcopal High School and majored in chemistry. Living in Holder Hall, he joined the Chemistry Club and took his meals at Cannon. After graduation, he spent two years at DuPont and then went into the Army for another two years. Back in Wilmington, he resumed his DuPont career in a variety of administrative and research postings, retiring there in 1985.

Lee earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina. In 1957, he married Mary Ross, known to all as “Molly.” They were married for 66 years and had two children, William Jr. and Cosby, and four grandchildren.

Lee was a man of many interests. He earned his pilot’s license, served as a tax consultant, and became a bridge life master in his 80s. He loved skiing, tennis, and sailing on the Chesapeake and the Maine coast, and spent more than 50 summer vacations on Nantucket Island.

Lee died Aug. 3, 2022. As he said in our 50th-reunion yearbook, “Life has so much to offer,” and he accepted that offer for his long life.

Class Year: 
Undergraduate Class of 1949