It is with great sadness that I announce that Lee F. Herbermann, former CLC Southeast Regions vice president and board member for many years, passed away at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. He was 84.
Born Feb. 27, 1941, Lee was a friend to many in the Cadillac & LaSalle Club. His sense of humor was infectious and his fun-loving spirit made even the most boring meetings a little more fun.
When the Newsletter Excellence Award was instituted in 1997, Lee was the judge and he named me as its first winner. I couldn't have been more humbled. I always wanted to meet him in person after that, so the opportunity presented itself in the buffet line during the Welcome Reception at the 1998 Grand National on Long Island. We hit it off instantly.
During my short stint as chair of the Publications Committee, my late wife, Liz, and I attended my first board meeting in winter 2003 in Charlotte, NC. Lee and I sat together and his words of advice were, "Keep it short." Back then, our reports to the board were read aloud during the meetings and they went for over eight hours. Today, board reports are filed online in advance of the meetings, which has been cut to around three hours.
This photo was taken June 7, 2024, during our two-day stay in Pittsburgh, our first time there. Lee and Judy showed Cynthia Rutledge and me a great time in the Steel City before we went on to Gettysburg, PA for the Grand National.
RIP, my good Pittsburgh friend, and my deepest condolences to Judy and the rest of Lee's family.
Lee was one of the CLC's staunchest supporters. Even in declining health, he rarely missed a national event. He was quite the comedian too. RIP Lee.
I got to know Lee through the Pittsburgh Region. A great guy who was fun to be around. He helped me a lot when I took over as Director of the Suncoast Region.
Condolences to Lee's family and friends. Clay/Lexi
As President, I first worked with Lee in planning and setting up the GN that was to be hosted by his Region. I was at work when he called me to report that the host hotel was undertaking a major remodel during the time-frame of the GN. As I remember, he'd also checked other possible sites and found none available in Pittsburgh that had the requirements we would have needed, (such as available parking on site that would not interfere with show parking.)
So, I had to find another site relatively close by as we had already announced where the GN was to be held. (That got done, which is not germane to this note.) That interaction was the start of my enjoying the friendship between us over the years. Lee was a credit to his Region and the CLC. He will be sorely missed.
A fitting obituary for great guy. I always looked forward to and enjoyed his company at club events. Harry
Lee's services are set for Saturday, June 7, in Pittsburgh. Details:
https://www.deborfuneralhome.com/obituary/Lee-Herbermann