Michael Lee Obituary

Looking Back On My Life
By Michael Dennis Lee
October 15, 1962, to June 5, 2025
I thought that it would make sense for me to write my own obituary, rather than have someone else do it, because I know at this point what I'd really like to say.
I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1962, to Dennis and Kathy Lee. We grew up on an old farm in Mequon, Wisconsin, and I can't imagine a better place for a child to learn about life. We had adventures every day, playing in the old barn and running around in the old field. As our family grew we moved to Brookfield.
During the summer during middle school and high school, I attended Camp Manitowish as a camper and then as a counselor. Manitowish is where I was introduced to sailing, which would become a lifelong love.
In 1981, when I was a senior in high school, my dad surprised me by encouraging me to postpone college and move to Colorado instead so I could ski– it was my passion at the time. Surprised, I took him up on that, and headed west. I worked and skied every day out there, and learned how to take care of myself. That move as an 18-year-old gave me so much confidence and good sense that I was able to tap later on in life to help me to do things I probably never would have done. There weren't too many other parents at the time who would've encouraged a kid right out of high school to move to Colorado, and I'm so grateful to my mom and dad for the trust they showed me.
I skied hard and when I'd finally gotten the skiing bug out of my system, I took a few classes at the University of Wisconsin and eventually moved to Kennebunkport, Maine, to study yacht design at The Landing Boat School. Those were probably the hardest and most challenging classes of my entire life! But the hard work paid off. I was able to launch my career in the marine industry. Starting at Sea Ray in Florida, then on to Oshkosh to work as a harbormaster, some adventures at Kotovic Marine (if you know, you know!) and eventually landing at Harken Yacht Equipment.
For so many years Milwaukee was home, and I loved my time there. I had so many good friends, and we hung out, supported one another, and did lots of great sailing together. Looking back, this was one of the most connected and fulfilling times of my life. So it was a big leap when Harken offered me a great job in Rhode Island in 2014. I said yes and relocated to Newport, Rhode Island, in New England, where my life took a few spectacular turns.
Professionally it was amazing to work on many sophisticated, high-budget ocean race boat projects being built at the time. That was so great. But what was really great was that I almost immediately met sailing photographer Marianne Grozko, who swept me off my feet. Our first date was a challenging mountain bike ride in Arcadia, Rhode Island – I was impressed! – and we've never stopped riding together ever since. We've been married for 15 years.
After my time at Harken, I owned a mobile bike shop. I was going full on during the pandemic, showing up in people's driveways to tune up their bikes. The best parts of this business were the people I got to know, and supporting local bike rides with my family. Cycling became a great way for our family to spend time together and to connect with the community.
Marianne has been an amazing partner, and my love for her has grown daily. She's always game for one of my crazy adventures, and we've had a lot! We've enjoyed hiking and biking all over New England together and multiple sailing trips on Lake Michigan.
Our daughter Madeline arrived a couple of years after we married, became the light of our lives, and it's breaking my heart to leave her and her mom, and not be able to see her grow up. Maddy is an incredible young girl who loves mountain biking, sailing, and other outdoor adventures – like her parents! She's funny and smart, resilient and kind. Maddy, I'm so proud of you and love you so much.
I leave my dear parents Dennis and Kathy Lee; my sister Becky (Lee) Cummings and her husband Lee and their children Marisa Cummings, Kaitlyn (Cummings) Goethel and her husband Andrew. I leave my two brothers John Lee and his wife Micki Schnieder, Shan Lee and his wife Holly and their sons Ryan and Tyler. And of course I leave my wife Marianne and my daughter Madeline. I love you all, and appreciate the love you've given me.
I know I've been blessed with an amazing life and wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe, if I could, I'd change two things. I wish I'd met Marianne a lot sooner so we could have spent more years together, taken more trips and adventures as a family, and watched our beautiful daughter grow up together. I've loved being Maddy's dad, and I hope she knows how much it meant to me that she and I were getting to be like best friends sometimes, sharing ideas and asking each other for advice.
And I wish I didn't have the bad luck to get cancer (Glioblastoma). It's an unforgiving thief, robbing you of your life's simple joys, robbing you of precious years, robbing you of the ways you wish you could have made life better and more secure for the ones you love.
It certainly doesn't feel fair. But all you can do is fight with all you've got while you can, try to accept your fate with a bit of dignity when you run out of alternatives, be grateful for the love of your family and friends, and then do your best to use the time you have left to your fullest. All my life that's what I've tried to do. – MIKE LEE (May 2025)
Memorials will be organized in Milwaukee and Rhode Island this summer.
Donations can be made to:
Visiting Nurse Home and Hospice
https://visitingnursehh.org/giving/
Rhode Island Brain and Spine Tumor Foundation
https://ribstf.org/
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