Oakley Lee

Oakley Robert Lee, 82, passed away Monday, July 25, 2016, at Sanford Health St. Vincent’s Continuing Care Center, Bismarck. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm Friday, July 29, at Our Savior’s Free Lutheran Church, 602 8th Ave SE #927, Stanley, ND. Oakley was born May 5, 1934, in Powers Lake, ND, grew up in the White Earth area and graduated from White Earth High School in 1951. He married Lorree Kuhlman in 1952 and they were blessed with five children. He attended college at Minot State where he pursued a career in music; following college Oakley taught band at Powers Lake, ND. Oakley and his family spent many years in Stanley where he was a partner at Prairie Ford dealership. He married Edna Patashnick in Williston in 1978. The couple moved to Colorado where they lived and Oakley worked in the oil industry until the fall of 2015, when he moved back to North Dakota. Oakley enjoyed life to the fullest. His love of music continued from his days of teaching and singing with the Mountrailsmen. He sang for countless weddings, funerals, and special occasions right up until the time of his death. He was kindhearted, generous, and a wonderful friend to many. He was very proud of his family and always said he was one of the luckiest men in the world. Oakley is survived and will be greatly missed by his children, Mary Ellen (Eugene) Hoerner, Bobbie Lee, Evonne (Maynard) Werre, Ronald (Pam) Lee, and Lisa (Jim) Patashnick; his grandchildren, Waylon (Shelley), Brandi (Jimmy) Hearn, Justin (Rhonda Liberty) Hoerner, Chelsea (Carl) Stewart, Weston (Emily), Jacob and Olivia Lee, Josh (Sabrina) Anderson, Josh and Maddie Patashnick; five great-grandchildren; his sisters, Ellen Fox, Ardis (Vern) Zunich, and Sandi (Bruce) Edwards; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Carrol; his first wife, Lorree; his second wife, Edna; his parents, Arthur and Helen Lee; and a brother-in-law, Lyle. The family would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses in the ICU at Sanford Health and the staff at Edgewood Vista and Sanford St. Vincent Care Center for their wonderful care of Oakley.