Judith Anne (Bash) Lee passed away at home on July 4, 2019 after a long illness, surrounded by her loving family. Judy was born in Fort Wayne on June 2, 1937. Her parents were David W. and Florence (Kendrick) Bash. She lived almost all of her life on the north side of Fort Wayne. She attended the Franklin School and North Side High School where she graduated in 1955 and was an honors student. She then attended Denison University in Granville, Ohio where she graduated in 1959 receiving a B.A. in history. She married William Lee in September of 1959. Judy was an avid reader all of her life. She was interested in fiction and non-fiction, plays, poetry, biography and history. She read to her children and grandchildren, and not just at bedtime. New Yorker cartoons, stories in the newspaper, information on road trips, crossword puzzles, and poetry were all part of her repertoire. She was a member of the Ex Libris book club for over fifty years. She served for many years on the board of the Friends of the Allen County Public Library. She was very interested in Lincolnania and was a member and strong supporter of The Friends of the Lincoln Collection for many years. She also loved art, music and theater and autumn trips to New York City that combined all these passions. For decades she annually attended The Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, The Shaw Festival in Niagara Falls, Ontario and the Chautauqua Institution in Jamestown, NY. She served on the board of the Fort Wayne Civic Theater and was instrumental in the presentation of the world premiere of the play, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. She was also a supporter of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. She attended virtually every public concert presented by the Philharmonic for over forty years. In addition she served as home room mother at Forest Park Elementary School many different school years, including chaperoning school trips. Of all her volunteer work, she especially enjoyed serving as the chair of the Community Arts Council of Arts United. She was a member of the Pi Chapter of Psi Iota Xi for over forty years. Under the influence of her son Rich she watched more episodes of The Simpsons than anyone of her generation. She especially enjoyed spending time with her granddaughters. Judy loved the water—Lake Gage, Lake Michigan, and the Gulf of Mexico. Judy loved convertibles and lived life with the top down. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Bill; her three children Cathy Lee (Bruce Kingsbury), Mark Lee (Jan Chalupny) and Rich Lee (Sally Rauber); two granddaughters, Katherine and Caroline; sister, Roberta (Bash) Hall; and brothers, David Bash and Charles Bash. A memorial service will be at 11am on July 10, 2019 at the Trinity English Lutheran Church 450 W Washington Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 with visitation one hour prior, with a light luncheon to follow. Memorial contributions may be made to the Friends of the Allen County Public Library. Condolences may be left online at www.mccombandsons.com
