# Lee Sternberg Thread



## Howard Knauf

Hi all, trying to help lee out here starting a thread so here goes....


His words...


I Taught Her Good
For some the newbiesI will give you a little
background.
The old lady and I have had a grocery and bakery in
near Tamarindo, Costa Rica for many years.
My wife is a native of Costa Rica and I lived there a
couple of different times.
We outgrew our old store and needed to expand
with new construction.
Due to my health issues I need to stay here in the US.
I've been a contractor for many years. The old lady is
down there now running the jobsite alone. She doesn't
have experience as a contractor but has watched
my for many years.
She is making me proud.
She is handling that whole construction project single
handed in a pretty much male society (majista).


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## Lee H Sternberg

Thanks Howard.....can you post the pictures and video.


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## Bob Scott

Love to see them.


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## Connie Sutherland

Lee, I sent you my email address in a PM so you can send me your pictures to post for you.

I always used to use Photobucket, and when it changed, I never got around to figuring out how to post photos here without it.  So it's about time for me to do that! :lol:


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## Connie Sutherland

Connie Sutherland said:


> Lee, I sent you my email address in a PM so you can send me your pictures to post for you.
> 
> I always used to use Photobucket, and when it changed, I never got around to figuring out how to post photos here without it.  So it's about time for me to do that! :lol:


And ... having failed, I have just forwarded the pics and video to Howard.


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## Howard Knauf

Having issues with the video but here the pic.


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## Connie Sutherland

Wow, giant building!!!

Thanks, Howard!


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## Bob Scott

Unreal! I expected a small, little building.


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## Howard Knauf

Looks like it might actually be hurricane proof.


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## Lee H Sternberg

It's the largest freestanding building in town.

Our other building is wood and they have been known to saw through the walls to get in.

We moniter 24 hour security caneras and they still try to get in.

We also now have 24 hour armed security.

The problem many people are dirt poor and break in for food. We dont even sell beer because it becomes even more tempting.


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## Lee H Sternberg

Thanks again Howard.


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## Lee H Sternberg

Next comes clothing, stationary and gift shop on our same property.

I'm getting used to the old lady knocking herself out. HaHa


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## Meg O'Donovan

"Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes.... Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such." Henry Miller


You're still the life of this party, Lee.


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## Lee H Sternberg

It's the COCO LOCOS


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## Lee H Sternberg

For the newbies....COCO LOCOS are my favorite Costa Rica ass kicking, knock you out party drink made with rum, tequila, vodka and coconuts. They slide down super easy and smooth.

It was my favorite booze drink when I lived there and wanted to cut totally loose. Had some wild fuking times with that gorilla drink.

Used to piss the old lady off when I got really rolling with COCO LOCOS. I had to kiss ass for a week.


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## Bob Scott

:lol: :lol: Lee do you still have any dogs for security? 



I know you had a real as kicker sometime back.


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## Lee H Sternberg

I do but they're here with mevand still kicking as if I let them. Funny story about flying them back. United baggage handlers in Costa Rica almost wouldn't take them because the male was going so insane the crate was walking across the concrete floor at the terminal. The were scared shitless.

I said you brought them here, now you don;t want to briing them back? They called the home office and decided to let me zip tie the doors shut and had me walk with them out on the tarmac to get them on the plane.

That was the male with the live bite down there with the thief trying to rip off the pick up truck.


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## Lee H Sternberg

Oh yeah I forgot pinapple with those COCO LOCOS


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## Lee H Sternberg

spelled pineapple wrong


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## Howard Knauf

I got locked out on my home PC so I'll get the other pic uploaded tomorrow now that I figured out what went wrong.](*,)


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## Howard Knauf

Got locked out on my home PC so I'll post the other pic tomorrow now tat I know what happened. ](*,)


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## Bob Scott

Lee H Sternberg said:


> I do but they're here with mevand still kicking as if I let them. Funny story about flying them back. United baggage handlers in Costa Rica almost wouldn't take them because the male was going so insane the crate was walking across the concrete floor at the terminal. The were scared shitless.
> 
> I said you brought them here, now you don;t want to briing them back? They called the home office and decided to let me zip tie the doors shut and had me walk with them out on the tarmac to get them on the plane.
> 
> That was the male with the live bite down there with the thief trying to rip off the pick up truck.







I recall the local cops got a big kick out of that live bite in the truck. :twisted:


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## Lee H Sternberg

Good memory, Bob. They loved it. The locals don't see a ass kicking dog go after a human too often.


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## Howard Knauf




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## Lee H Sternberg

Thanks again, Howard. 

The reason I wanted that new photo is it shows clearly the second level of small offices and security guard crows nest.


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## Lee H Sternberg

Notice no hard hats. Much different down there than here.

If anyone gets hurt on the jobsite in Costa Rica just toss them in a ambulance and yell bring on the next dude.


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## Lee H Sternberg

Ooopps I forgot.... Can't call a amulance.....There aren't any. HaHa


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## Lee H Sternberg

OR use one of those electric shock fly swatters and tell him get back to work.


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## Bob Scott

OSHA in Costa Rica.


Oh Shit Hell's Acommin! :-D:wink:


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## Lee H Sternberg

It used to be you didn't even need a permit. Then some corrupt official figured out that it was another good source of graft. Just pay and you're in and out with no plan check.

Everone plays the game but my old lady. She is terrible that way.

I don't know if I ever told the story but Costa Rica has MAX speed of 35 MPH on most roads. Totally insane!

Most policia don't even have cars. The hide in bushes with their radar gun.

I always had to make quick decisions once every couple weeks to decide if I was just ignore the poor cop waving his hands to stop as I sped by or stop and give the cop $20 payoff.

My wife alway got totally bent as the cop and I were doing business. She would bitch me out and than tell the cop off.

She took all the fun out of it.


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## Bob Scott

:lol: :lol: Wimmins! :-D:wink:


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## Howard Knauf

Progress part of street side building in Costa Rica


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## Lee H Sternberg

All the concrete in that building mixed by hand in a small mixer and carried to the structure bucket by bucket and handed up by rope.

The mixer is the only piece of equipment on that site. Everything else is by hand.

Twelve hour days, 6 days a week are the norm.

Thanks for helping me out again. I hope you get some time off.


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## Bob Scott

WOW! That looks like a castle!


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## Lee H Sternberg

The restaurant is cafeteria style. The server fill the plate with whatever choices you make. There is also a sandwich and burger counter.

The bread in the bakery is done the old fashioned way with a wood fired clay oven. The old timers line up in the morning to grab bread right out of the oven. Desserts are done in a regular commercial oven.

The grocery store will handle mostly Costa Rica stuff with a ****** section containing imported foods.

The purpose of all this expansion is to get the old lady a lifetime income source. We know everything is viable because we are doing pretty much the same time in a smaller facility that we outgrew.


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## Howard Knauf

You are setting her up nicely Lee. She'll be considered "wealthy" I'll bet.=D>


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## Lee H Sternberg

I owned a marina on Lake Coeur d Alene which had a similar setup. I know those type stores are cash cow.

We have a monopoly on a lot of stuff. We are the only place for depository in town for all utilities, land line phone, cell phone and lottery. The government owns practically everything. 

People there dont typically have credit cards or checking accounts. They just stop by the store and pay the bill. Kinda give you a captive audience.

It is unusual for Costa Rica women to marry gringos. Remember I talked about happy country stuff. Women there dont chase Gringos around. But locals there think most Gringos roll in bucks.

So the old lady gets hit up for "loans" all the time. She knows that whole town. It's hard on her to turn down people. 

Its actually not a positive thing because it's like the lottery winners here......they have "friends" they never knew existed.


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## Bob Scott

Both the good and the bad of success.


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## Howard Knauf

I don't know Lee...I know a few guys who have married CR women. And that's just in my little corner of the the world. There's gotta be more of that going on than you think. Then again...you would know better than I. 


One friend of mine took a pretty big ride by a CR woman. He sold his business and everything else to move down with her. In the end he lost about everything. And here I though it was the Guatemalans that were dirty gold diggers. I guess it happens everywhere and you got yourself a good one.


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## Lee H Sternberg

I've seen that in and around San Jose. Not real typical out in the countryside, OR, they are learning from Quatamala. 😀

In all my years involved down there I only know of 2 others Costa Rica women married to Gringos. 

In fact until we got real serious the old lady was very guarded who saw us out.

I was instantly accepted by her family which counting all the relatives add up to a medium size city. They are all great people. Many of them work at the store.

It's funny her father and I are the same age.🙄


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## Howard Knauf

Lee H Sternberg;760680
It's funny her father and I are the same age.🙄[/QUOTE said:


> Ahhh...so she's a geezer pleaser then?


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## Lee H Sternberg

You know Howard I was thinking off your buddy who got ripped by a bitch from Costa Rica.

I've known my wife who is 52 now, I think I'm shit on that kind of stuff), since she was 19. We didn't marry for quite a while because I'm a asshole that way.

I all those years not one family member has ever even one time, requested chain migration. 

Different kind of people. Typically the deeper into the countryside you get the more "real" the families get.

I developed real deep friendships there. Although our store is located on the "Gold Coast" of Costa Rica I lived very remote in the country. 

Often I was the only ****** for miles around and never had issues hanging out with the locals.


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## Bob Scott

That says as much about you as it does the locals there!


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## Howard Knauf

They probably didn't mess with you because they knew you were a crazy SOB. LOL Having those crazy stripey dogs helped I'm sure.


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## Lee H Sternberg

It is my excellant personality 🙄

Seriously, dont wear your wealth. I was in shorts and a tank top 99.9% of the time. 

I had satellite TV so I could get NFL football. 

TV was pretty rare in the tiny town i lived in called Huacas. You couldn't even find the town on a CR map. In the afternoons after school was over I would have a room full of kids hanging out for cartoons.

When I couldn't handle cartoons any more I would head over to the cantina which was right next door and bullshit with everyone. I was never able to convince the old lady that I didn't choose that lot for the house just because the cantina was right next door.

This wasn't the jungle town but high up in the mountains cattle and coffee agricultural town. I totally loved that place until they had to chop out my voice box.

If that didn't happen I would still be there.

I still own a cemetary plot there that I will never use.


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## Bob Scott

I recall when you had that done. 



Seems you had to re establish the pack order with the dog when you couldn't vocally command them.


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## Howard Knauf

Sounds like you were a popular guy....sorta like Norm from Cheers.


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## Bob Scott

:lol: :lol: :lol: I bet you got that one right Howard! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Lee H Sternberg

I'm way cooler than, Normy, WTF🙄🙄 or at least that's what everyone tell me other than Howard. 😁

I was even the first to get laid in high school. Pretty cool huh Howard. AND that's bareback!!


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## Lee H Sternberg

Oh yeah, and I only lost one bar fight.


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## Bob Scott

Lee H Sternberg said:


> Oh yeah, and I only lost one bar fight.



I'm betting that Norm talked his way out of fights then talked the other guy into buying him a beer. :lol:


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## Howard Knauf

Lee H Sternberg said:


> Oh yeah, and I only lost one bar fight.



There's ALWAYS someone badder out there. 


Bareback was the standard back then. Nowadays you need a body condom.](*,)


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## Lee H Sternberg

I only have one guilt in my life.

I was so wild I let my wonderful wife hang out there while I made a ass of myself having fun.

I suspect part of the reason I'm sick now is too much partying of the "good" lifestyle.

I can't tell people how hard I worked my whole life AND how hard I played.

Sooner or later that lifestyle catches up.


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## Howard Knauf

Well, I know lots of people who worked hard all their life only to end up in your shoes and not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. In the last 5 years we've lost at least 7 retired co-workers within the first few years after they retired. I fear the same will happen to me but I stay in the gym to try and prevent that. No guarantee though. At least you got to have enjoyment instead of being a total slave. No regrets.


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## Lee H Sternberg

I always took a little time to play. I had the motorhome, cabin cruiser on the lake, motorcycles and golf course house.

Those were the good things. It was the rest of the lifestyle that tore me up. When I said wine, women and song I meant it......in excess. I think it took extra long for me to grow up and quit that shit.

I dont like to talk about it much but I think that was my personal form of PTSD. That stint riding shotgun on convoys all over the north was the most nerve wrenching thing I ever did. Khe Sanh was no picknik either.


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## Howard Knauf

No one can tell you how to cope with it. Only you know best. Life in the states must be mundane compared to that chaos. You're lucky the ol lady stuck it out with you.


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## Bob Scott

Khe Sanh was the big one that pretty much got the Tet offensive going.


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## Lee H Sternberg

I'm done with that kind of fun. If I tried acting like that now they dont need a ambulance unless they include a body bag.😃

It took a long time to watch the films of what went on there on YouTube. Holy shit, what a disaster.😥😥😥

He was another harrowing time.


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## Lee H Sternberg

Hue not he


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## Lee H Sternberg

I really dont know why the old lady hung on. I certainly didn't deserve it and she didn't either.


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## Sarah Platts

Checking up on you. KInda late it appears but, hey, not to late to chime in and add my 2 cents.


Hug the ol' lady close 'cause she loves you.


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## Lee H Sternberg

It's great to hear from you old friend.

I hope everything is okay in your life.

I know she loves me. Just can't for the life of me figure out why.

It's not like I'm a lovable fuker.

But I swear not bragging but always had a way with the ladies.

I just had a call from my VA wound nurse who I haven't seen in a few months. She was just wondering how I was doing and invited me for lunch.

Maybe that's it! Some women like dickheads.😁😁


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## Lee H Sternberg

We have the building about 80% complete. There are 2 govt. owned banks in Costa Rica. 

Some bank executives passed by the building a couple of days ago, contacted the old lady yesterday and want to rent part of the building. They said it's the prettiest of all their rentals.

What a tough decision. If we rent it to the govt. dream tenant it stops us from opening the restaurant. But the huge issue is if the want a place they are known to throw bucks at it. We would still be able to do the grocery and bakery stores.

We could buy next door and do the restaurant next door but the issue is I'm stuck here and it would take forfeiting the old lady another year. She is dieing to get back here to the US.

So....we have until Monday to decide.


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## Bob Scott

Tough call! 



Great potential either way but having the old lady back would be a biggie for me. 



Go with your gut!


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## Howard Knauf

Who's handling the restaurant when she's in the states? Is there someone there you can trust to get the other building up and running? It is a tough call. I'd say get the wife back home and spend as much time with her as possible given the circumstances. Lease the building to the Gov't for a year or two then see how things go.


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## Lee H Sternberg

About 20 different inlaws are employed there which has its uppers and downers.

The old lady has to untangle them occasionally. 

It gets to be real fun when some of the husband-wife teams go at it. 

If, for instance, if my brother in law spends too much time flirting with some shopping chick, which happens to be a latino pastime, my sister inlaw wants to take out the both of them.

Then the rest of the inlaws start choosing whose side they are on.

I know all of them so it gets quite interesting.

Not so much for my wife.😁


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## Lee H Sternberg

I forgot to answer the question, Howard. 

We have enough family on site at any one time to watch over the stores.


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## Howard Knauf

Well, the govt lease is easy, secure money. The space would probably stay in good shape longer as well. If doing that gets your wife home, and the restaurant can be run by family...sounds like a win win.


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## David Ruby

Lee H Sternberg said:


> For the newbies....COCO LOCOS are my favorite Costa Rica ass kicking, knock you out party drink made with rum, tequila, vodka and coconuts.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> Used to piss the old lady off when I got really rolling with COCO LOCOS. I had to kiss ass for a week.


Ah, yes. That's what I came back for. :-D

Glad to see you're still doing well, Lee!

-Cheers


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## David Ruby

Also, best of luck with the building (that I agree with I think Bob in that it looks like a @#$%ing castle/fortress!) and deciding between the govt. rental or the restaurant. Hope it works out great! Based on how things look and your experience with the place you grew out of, I have a feeling it will.


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## Lee H Sternberg

The other building where the store is currently located is wood frame. Thieves actually sawed through twice to get in. We have 24 hour security cameras but they came in anyway. That prompted us for employ 24/7 security. 

I think more than anything they were looking for cash. Besides cash from the store we do collections for the government owned water, power, phones and lottery. (Socialism at work.😀) and Banco de Costa Rica loans. The locals rarely have checking accounts so everything is cash.

The new building is intentionally intimidating with area on part of second level for main floor surveillance. 

I'm sure that's the reason the bank wants it.


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## Bob Scott

Bottom line. Is it worth the aggravation with this sort of things happening and can the new building handle it safely?


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## Sarah Platts

Hey Lee, 


Just checking in to see if the tough are still going. I'm almost all packed out to make the trek to Kansas. I got rid of a bunch of stuff but still have 'way to much. Never knew a closet could hold so much stuff....
It's like an onion. One layer after another.


Let me know how you are getting on.


Sarah


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## Nicole Stark

I wasn't sure exactly where to post this or how. Originally, I went looking for the thread that started my deeply personal friendship with Lee but instead stumbled upon a thread I never saw. Even now, I am not sure how that happened because I didn't see it when it was originally posted or even just recently with the last response/inquiry.


Lee passed away on November 9th. The last time I spoke to him was October 26th. He was lucid, engaged and spoke of some new events that would bring about a different treatment plan on November 1st. Two weeks later he was gone. Lee and I spoke many times about what I might or might not say when he passed. This thread seemed to do it's own work of sort. 


So I will close with what he once told me to say, "just tell them Lee didn't make it for the bell on the final round."


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes.... Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such." Henry Miller


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## Connie Sutherland

Nicole Stark said:


> I wasn't sure exactly where to post this or how. Originally, I went looking for the thread that started my deeply personal friendship with Lee but instead stumbled upon a thread I never saw. Even now, I am not sure how that happened because I didn't see it when it was originally posted or even just recently with the last response/inquiry.
> 
> 
> Lee passed away on November 9th. The last time I spoke to him was October 26th. He was lucid, engaged and spoke of some new events that would bring about a different treatment plan on November 1st. Two weeks later he was gone. Lee and I spoke many times about what I might or might not say when he passed. This thread seemed to do it's own work of sort.
> 
> 
> So I will close with what he once told me to say, "just tell them Lee didn't make it for the bell on the final round."
> 
> 
> ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
> 
> "Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes.... Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such." Henry Miller




Oh no. I am so sorry to hear this.

Past PM threads with Lee are often in my mind.

Oh man ... this is such sad news.


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## Bob Scott

Thank's so much Nicole! 



It hasn't been long since we were talking with Lee here.


He seemed to know things were getting closer. 



RIP Lee! 

You were one of the real people here on the WDF.


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## Connie Sutherland

bob scott said:


> thank's so much nicole!
> 
> 
> 
> It hasn't been long since we were talking with lee here.
> 
> 
> He seemed to know things were getting closer.
> 
> 
> 
> *rip lee!
> 
> You were one of the real people here on the wdf.*



Ditto!


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## David Ruby

Nicole Stark said:


> Lee passed away on November 9th. The last time I spoke to him was October 26th. He was lucid, engaged and spoke of some new events that would bring about a different treatment plan on November 1st. Two weeks later he was gone. Lee and I spoke many times about what I might or might not say when he passed. This thread seemed to do it's own work of sort.
> 
> 
> *So I will close with what he once told me to say, "just tell them Lee didn't make it for the bell on the final round."*


Thanks for sharing that, Nicole. I was sad to hear he passed. We had chatted a number of times over the years, and he was funny yet wise. Shit, it feels weird to be talking about him like that. But it's true. He wasn't inclined to bullshit you, I mean he WAS a Marine after all, but he was kind about it. I have to say I really, really value being able to get to know him and chat with him.

As for not making it to the bell for the final round? Nonsense, Lee. They had you in extra rounds! You lived a lot in that life, overcame a lot, and seemed aware of what it meant. You certainly had some insights into life and seemed able to live in the present in a way that not everybody gets to. So thanks for the chats. And the dog stories. And the humor. Hopefully you're enjoying a bottomless Coco Loco somewhere making people laugh with your cheesy jokes. God knows we'll miss them here.

-Cheers


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## Howard Knauf

Holy sh*t.....So sorry to hear this. I lost my dad the week earlier and have been away for a bit. Just got back from Illinois and did plenty of reflection whilst sitting in the deer stand. I wish I had know about Lee before leaving so that I could include him in my thoughts. So sad to hear. Lee was one of the good ones!


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## Nicole Stark

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 


On this day, especially since it's the holiday that kicks off a number of holidays to come, I wanted to share with you something about Lee that you may not have known. He absolutely LOVED the holidays. Along with his enjoyment of cooking, the process of decorating or as he'd say "decking the place out" was another extension of how he celebrated the holidays. He shared pictures with me and boy did he know how to do it up! Until I met Lee I had never known someone who lived every single aspect of his life to the fullest possible extent and in every way imaginable.


Howard, my condolences to you for the loss of your father.


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## Connie Sutherland

Nicole Stark said:


> Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
> 
> 
> On this day, especially since it's the holiday that kicks off a number of holidays to come, I wanted to share with you something about Lee that you may not have known. He absolutely LOVED the holidays. Along with his enjoyment of cooking, the process of decorating or as he'd say "decking the place out" was another extension of how he celebrated the holidays. He shared pictures with me and boy did he know how to do it up! Until I met Lee I had never known someone who lived every single aspect of his life to the fullest possible extent and in every way imaginable.
> 
> 
> Howard, my condolences to you for the loss of your father.



Thank you for this, Nicole!


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## Howard Knauf

Thank you, Nicole.


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## Bob Scott

Thank you Nicole!


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## rick smith

Lee was a great guy
- we once traded some photos ,,,,his bike for some of my Japanese eye candy models. he thought he got the better end of the deal, but i tried to convince him otherwise //lol//

my best friend is coming to the end of that battle and it's put me in a terrible funk for some time now. you can really see what someone is made of when they have to face that uphill battle. hope i check out quick.....i would hate having people take care of me

i will think about him often for quite some time
RIP LEE


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## Nicole Stark

rick smith said:


> my best friend is coming to the end of that battle and it's put me in a terrible funk for some time now. you can really see what someone is made of when they have to face that uphill battle. hope i check out quick.....i would hate having people take care of me
> 
> i will think about him often for quite some time
> RIP LEE



Rick I am sorry to hear that about your best friend. I don't know if your friend is nearby or away, maybe it doesn't matter either way. I saw/knew about aspects of Lee's battle his family never knew about. I bring this up only to say that I understand what you mean about being in a terrible funk. I've been there. It was like experiencing by-proxy, a long and torturous event.


As I told a few others when I learned of his passing my world seemed to go dark. I don't know any other way to describe it.


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## Sarah Platts

What a bummer. Thanks Nicole for letting us know. I've made the trek to Kansas and was checking back to see if Lee had checked in. He's checked into the Coco Loco Motel and enjoying the festivities there. he was always the most upbeat man I've met and we did some PM-ing back and forth. Even when the "news" was not that great, he took the high road, taking pleasure in the best of things.


Thanks, Lee. No one is ever dead so long as someone remembers them. Be assured, I remember you.


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## Khoi Pham

Rest in peace.


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