Elwood Lee:
CLASS OF 1964
Houston High SchoolClass of 1964
Houston, MN
Elwood's Story
When I graduated from good ol' HHS, I couldn't afford to go to college so I went to Minneapolis Business College (thank you Don Cieminski!) for 15 months.. When I graduated, it was Dec 1965 and the draft was roaring through the Midwest. I couldn't get a job with my military obligation hanging over my head so I decided to volunteer to get this duty done. I was sent to Vietnam in July '66 and came home six months later when my Dad died. I came home and got out to support my Mom. They had moved to CA to be nearer my older sister, Louane, so that's where I went, happy to be escaping the brutal winters.
Graduated from college in 1973. Had to work full-time while going to school 3/4 time. Knew I wanted to work for the government -- 8 to 5 M-F with evenings and weekends off. Went to work in Sacramento and gained extensive knowledge about hospitals' operations.
During this time period, I met Diane Rath and it was love at first site. we were married and have two wonderful children, Erica and Ethan.
After ten years working for the State of CA, I was recruited by the CA Association of Catholic Hospitals as their vice president. I worked there for 15 years, the last 4 as president of political relations for the 50 Catholic hospitals in CA. That was a long tour so I re-entered CA state government as the chief deputy director of the CA Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. I was appointed by then-Governor Gray Davis and left just before he was recalled in the exceptional election of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I returned to my former department which ran the CA Medicaid program and ...Expand for more
I managed their drug program.
During this time in the early 2000's, Diane was starting a long fight against colon cancer. In 2004, I retired to be with her. We had a very long and memorable goodbye until she passed away in 2011.
After Diane's passing, I needed something to do to occupy my time and I was attracted to the surprising problem of homeless veterans. I have volunteered for the Sacramento Stand Down for homeless vets for the past few years. It is the most rewarding experience of my life. I proudly serve as a member of the Board of Directors where my non-profit management experience comes in handy. I hope I can do this for the rest of my life.
Erica recently moved to Washington DC to start working as an legislative advocate on colon cancer. Ethan is working for the Social Security Administration managing their field offices in Berkeley and Richmond, CA.
Elwood Lee
By the way, some of you may know that I go by "Bud" Lee and have done so ever since graduating from HHS. Both my sisters, Louane and Jeannie, knew I wasn't fond of the name "Elwood" because it was an easy name to evolve into creative nicknames, none of which were flattering. For those of you who remember "Father Knows Best," there was a young boy actor -- Billy Gray -- who played a character named "Bud." I bore a slight resemblance to him at the time so my sisters started calling me "Bud". When I moved to Minneapolis and worked part-time at a parking lot where a uniform with a name badge was required, I told them to put "Bud" on the name badge. And that's how everyone in my post-Minnesota world knows me as Bud.
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