Dennis Wayne Lee

Mr. Dennis Wayne Lee passed away on Monday August 20, 2019 at 10:30am at Lima Memorial Hospital. He had suffered a massive heart attack two days prior, and, despite the attempts of the wonderful medical providers at both the Wilson Hospital emergency room in Sidney and the Lima Memorial Heart and Vascular Coronary Care Unit to revive him, his body was too frail. He was taken off life support on Monday morning and died with his brother-in-law, Phil Chilcote, at his side.

Dennis is the son of long-time Sidney residents Mr. and Mrs. Harold and Ruth (Coates) Lee, both of whom preceded him in death. He is survived by his sister, Arlene (Phil) Chilcote, also a Sidney native, as well as his niece Gretchen (Garland) Heidemann-Whitt of Los Angeles, niece Molly (Joe) Heidemann-Kuth of Cincinnati, and great nieces May Whitt and Cassie Kuth. Although he was never married or had children, he loved his dogs Travis - a gorgeous Irish Setter - and Maggie - a sweet and loyal Labrador Retriever - as much as any "fur parent" could.

A Sidney native and graduate of the Sidney High School class of 1971, Dennis had most recently been a resident of Cedarwood Commons after losing his home on Fair Avenue to a fire in October 2018. He attended Bowling Green State University and earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication in 1975. He subsequently worked as a DJ for a small radio station in Ashland, Ohio. Like his father Harold, he enjoyed woodworking and was quite skilled at it. For a number of years, it was his not only his hobby but also his occupation when he worked at Anna Lumber. He later worked at Wells Office Supply, followed by Stolle Corporation. He retired in 2015 from Western Ohio Packaging.

Mr. Lee loved movies, especially old Westerns, and could be found in his retirement watching them by the hour. He was an avid sports fan, with a particular zest for baseball. The Cincinnati Reds was his favorite team. He also loved listening to the music of the 70s, had an impressive record collection, and was hard to beat at a game of trivia - especially if it had anything to do with music of that era. In recent years, he found joy in spending time with his two great nieces, May and Cassie, now 3 and 1 years old, respectively.

Mr. Lee's organs were harvested upon his death. This final act of generosity has the capacity to help up to 50 people through eye, skin, and other organ and tissue transplantation.

As requested by the deceased, there will be no calling hours or funeral. The family will hold a small graveside and memorial service at a later date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to either Lima Memorial Hospital Heart and Vascular Coronary Care Unit (https://www.limamemorial.org/community-relations/ways-to-give/), which provided exceptional care for Dennis in his final hours, or Lifeline of Ohio, a non-profit that coordinates the donation of organs and tissue for transplantation (http://lifelineofohio.org/contribute-to-lifeline-of-ohio/). Arrangements are in the care of Cromes-Edwards Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed to the family at the funeral home's website, www.cromesfh.com.

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