David Lee, 88, Was An Advocate For Sag Harbor

Services were held last week at Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor Village for David Lee, a longtime resident and active member of the Sag Harbor community who died on November 28 at the age of 88. As with so many other organizations and institutions, Mr. Lee had been deeply involved in the temple, serving at various times over his 68 years as a member as both its president and secretary.Since first arriving in Sag Harbor with his parents and three siblings in 1948, in fact, the British-born Mr. Lee had been involved in almost every aspect of Sag Harbor life. He served on the Sag Harbor School Board and the Sag Harbor Village Zoning Board of Appeals. He was one of Sag Harbor’s successful entrepreneurs, as the owner of the Cove Men’s Shop and Cove Jewelers. He also helped found Sag Harbor’s annual HarborFest, the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He managed and worked on properties in the area, and he was the chairman of the East Hampton Housing Authority and the East Hampton/Sag Harbor Citizens Advisory Committee.

One of his most prominent contributions was with the Sag Harbor Community Band, which he served as a percussionist, master of ceremonies and simply as a member of the nearly 60-year-old organization.

“Dave was a big personality,” said David Brandenburg, the Community Band’s music director, this week. “He was very energetic and caring. He was also very impressive in that he had done so much for the community. It’s going to be very strange for such a big personality to be missing.”

Jose B. DosSantos of the East Hampton/Sag Harbor Citizens Advisory Committee said much the same thing. “We lost a dear friend,” he said.

Mr. DosSantos recalled one day, soon after the election of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, when Mr. Lee showed up for a CAC meeting wearing lapel pins in celebration of their victory. “We then told him we could not proceed with the meeting unless we had garlic to fight off the two vampires, George and Dick,” Mr. DosSantos said with a laugh. Mr. Lee didn’t care that he was outnumbered politically, said Mr. DosSantos, “because he was one of a kind.”

Neal Fagin, the current president of Temple Adas Israel, said Mr. Lee had “loved being involved,” even performing services and funerals at the temple if he was needed. Mr. Lee also allowed non-temple members to enter and worship during the holiday seasons for free, a tradition that Mr. Fagin said will continue.

“David was always reminding us of our past,” Mr. Fagin said. “He always had this warm feeling about how well the temple has been doing nowadays and how many people have been coming to the temple. David always sat in a certain seat so he could welcome everyone that came in the door.”

Mr. Lee had also served as chairman of the board for 17 of 19 years of service with the Housing Authority, having been appointed in 1997 and then in 2014. “David was a very active member of the business/professional community,” said Patricia Gilchrest of the authority. “His civic involvement in the community was extensive.”

“There were so many things that he had a hand in,” said Mr. Lee’s wife, Joanna Paitchell Lee, when asked what accomplishment her husband had been most proud of. “He was very proud of the Community Band and was very much involved with the Chamber of Commerce,” she said.

The chamber’s president, Lisa Field, said Mr. Lee had been a founding member of that organization, which was originally called MASH, for Merchants Association of Sag Harbor. “We are grateful for all the work that David has contributed over the years, and he will be greatly missed,” she said of the organization’s director emeritus and former president.

Mr. Lee had a way to keep the community informed about the news and events of Sag Harbor, thanks to his time slot on WLNG 92.1 FM providing community news Monday through Friday. For 25 years, Mr. Lee would cap off the 7:30 a.m. morning news slot with 90 seconds of local news, and then sign off with, “It’s a good day to take a walk.”

“He was fun and a real gentleman,” said Gary Sapiane, president of WLNG.

Services were held at the temple on Thursday, December 1. Mr. Lee is survived by his wife; his daughters, Michelle Connar and Cheryl Laviano; his granddaughter, Cantor Rebecca Goren; his great-granddaughters, Yael and Na’ama; and his brothers, Martin Lee and Bernard Lee.