The Last Lap - in memory of good times.

Leslie Thomas Lee, known to all as Les, was born in 1936 in East Ham, London, to Bill (William) and Nellie Lee. He was the younger brother of Ivy and uncle to a young George, who was more like a brother than a nephew. Sadly Les died at home on 15th November 2025; he will be very much missed by all his family, all his friends and everyone who was fortunate enough to have known him.

Les wished that any celebration of his life be carried out with everyone dressed in bright colours, no black, and rather than sending flowers, to make a charitable donation to Colostomy UK. We invite you to join us in the Milton Chapel at Chilterns Crematorium in Amersham for a service of tribute (this will also be streamed online) and we will celebrate his life afterwards at Chartridge Park Golf Club to remember the happier years and share anecdotes and memories. There's plenty of mischief and stories to tell.

Les grew up during wartime London, experiencing bombs falling during the Blitz, with one landing in his back garden destroying his house and seriously injuring his grandmother, resulting in him being evacuated, first to Grantham and then to Brighton. During the Blitz he witnessed his father's extraordinary courage when, as an Emergency Gas Fitter, Bill was called out to race across London through falling bombs and hails of rubble, skirting craters and for once speeding through red lights to shut off a critical gas supply valve that was fueling a fire acting as a target for enemy bombers. For this Bill was rewarded with the British Empire Medal and his son’s admiration for the will and determination he displayed - traits that Les soon discovered were handed down to him.

Remaining in Brighton throughout the Blitz, nine-year-old Les became a Wolf Cub and Scout, promising always to do his best; a promise he kept throughout his life. Back in East Ham, he attended Cornwall Secondary Modern School, where his report noted his attitude as "keen and energetic, shows initiative." Those who worked with him or for him would certainly agree, and he instilled this strong work ethic in his four children.

Leaving school in 1951 at the age of fifteen, Les started work as an apprentice Gas Fitter for North Thames Gas, cycling to jobs with his tools and ladder strapped to his bike, followed by National Service in the RAF as an Airframe Mechanic with 214 Squadron working on Valiant Bombers. He rejoined British Gas after the RAF and after years of evening classes and several promotions found himself his father’s boss! 

A keen roller skater and, by all accounts, an excellent dancer, he met Jeannette at a dance hall in Redbridge. After arriving home late one too many times, they married in 1959 - a partnership that would last 66 years. Together they raised four children, Debbie, David, Diane and Donna. Known affectionately as "Grumps" to his seven grandchildren; Rachel, Sam, Sarah, Andrew, David, Navah and Jack, and five great-grandchildren, Les brought the same dedication to family life that he brought to everything else.

His career with British Gas spanned 40 years during which time he was Regional Operations Manager and still managed, at times, to be an active member of Chesham Rotary Club. Upon retirement in 1991 Les gave more time to Rotary, being Chesham’s President in 1996, District Governor in 2008 and threw himself into voluntary and charity work with characteristic energy, organising aid convoys to Bosnia, Belarus and Smolensk. More 'good will' activities followed, starting a local charity that passed unwanted office supplies to other charities; recruiting volunteers for Chesham Open Air Museum and fund raising for a local hospice. In 1996 Les took part in the London to Brighton Cycle Ride with members of British Gas including his daughter, Diane, paving the way for another cycle ride, this time with Rotary, from Chesham to Paris.

Expanding his horizons further afield, Les involved himself in national level organisation for Rotary International Disaster Relief and helped with a newly started charity called School-Aid, sending books and other educational materials to schools in Africa and volunteering as manager of the storage warehouse for ten years. Ever the adventurer, Les went skydiving and looped the loop in a glider for a school in KwaZulu Natal.

Despite an inauspicious start with technology as it was introduced at work, inadvertently referring to a computer mouse as a frog, and not being allowed to forget it, retirement saw him embrace technology with enthusiasm, spending more time on his phone than most teenagers, creating photo compilation birthday cards that became his signature design.

Being a lifelong petrolhead Les devoted much time to his sports cars, became a member of the MG Car Club, BARC, BRSCC and as a member of the BMMC volunteered as a Motorsport Flag and Incident Marshal at several circuits in the UK, marshalling at events from Lawn Mower racing to the British Grand Prix. At home, as a highly skilled jack of all trades, his talents in carpentry, cabinetmaking, plumbing, building and garden design transformed 79 Chartridge Lane, truly, into the house that Les built.

In 2009 Les was admitted to hospital for a simple operation, however, five months later came out worse than he went in, but Les being Les with his inherited will and determination as well as a full measure of good humour transformed this experience into a positive service by working hard to support UK stoma charities.

Safe to say Les had a great life and a great retirement that was possibly more varied and active than his years as a gas man, and so, for a man of such purpose and service, the last five years brought frustrating limitations and Les would want to thank all those who supported him through this difficult stage.