Oscar A. Lee, age 73, of Helena

Oscar A. Lee went to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on December 15, 2018 at 1:26 a.m. 

With sorrow we grieve the loss of Oscar. 

With joy we know you are in Heaven.

With peace we are sustained by the grace of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. 

Glory, Glory how the angels sing!

Glory, Glory how the loud harps ring! 

There the Father meets us all along the way, welcoming home His weary and wandering child.

Oscar was born on August 19, 1945 in Helena, Montana to Lewis and Dora Lee. As a boy, his family resided in the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula. Growing up Oscar had 2 brothers, Joseph and George, and 4 sisters Gail, Lorna, Harriet, and Patricia. As Oscar grew older the family moved to Helena, Montana. As a young adult Oscar voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army.

Oscar was deployed to serve in the Vietnam War where he served almost 3 years of continuous combat duty. While in Vietnam Oscar served as an Infantry Soldier on the battlefield. As his career in the U.S. Army progressed, Oscar also served in the 1^st Air Cavalry Division as an operations sergeant. Oscar participated in the coordination of delivery of men and supplies. Oscar’s skills were also instrumental in the planning and execution of air strikes conducted by B-52 bombers. Oscar was then transferred to the Military Assistance Command Vietnam where he spent 18 months setting up the first military assistance team in Saigon, Vietnam. His duties with the Military Assistance Command Vietnam included military intelligence, radio operations, and air operations. After his time in Vietnam, Oscar served 6 month tours of duty at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, Ft. Rucker, Alabama, and Ft. Gordon Georgia.

During these stateside tours Oscar was an instructor at the U.S. Army Pathfinder School and was influential in training helicopter pilots assigned for deployment to Vietnam. Oscar also was an instructor at the U.S. Army Human Tracking School where he trained Soldiers and K-9 units to track in the Vietnam theatre of war. Oscar also served as an instructor for the U.S. Army Military Police School where he trained new military officers and foreign students. Oscar also worked at the U.S. Army prison escorting prisoners. After Oscar’s stateside duties were completed he was sent to Frankfurt, West Germany for an overseas deployment.

During his tour of duty in Frankfurt, Germany, Oscar served as an aviation operations and intelligence specialist. Oscar also assisted in the planning, scheduling, and execution of missions involving nuclear weapons in the European Theatre. Additionally, Oscar assisted with the handling of VIPs and foreign dignitaries.

After his tour of duty in Germany, Oscar was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army in May of 1973 completing over 8 years of Active Duty service in the U.S. Army, of which over 4 years was spent overseas. For his accomplishments in the U.S. Army, Oscar was awarded the Army Air Medal for his service in Vietnam, the Army Commendation Medal for his service in Vietnam, the Army Bronze Star Medal for his service in Vietnam, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Vietnam Service Medal, the Army Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Army Combat Infantry Badge, 6 overseas Bars, and the Army Sharpshooter Medal.

After Oscar’s service in the U.S. Army was completed he returned to his hometown of Helena, Montana and began a new chapter in his life with his wife Helena and 2 month old son, Jeremy.

Oscar met and began courting Helena Bartosik in 1970. Oscar married Helena Bartosik on September 20, 1970 in Helena, Montana at Calvary Baptist Church. Helena accompanied Oscar in the latter years of his career in the U.S. Army including his overseas tour to Germany.

While deployed to Germany, Oscar received his personal gift of salvation in Jesus Christ in the spring of 1972 while attending a Navigator’s Bible Study in Frankfurt, Germany. Romans chapter 3 verses 23 thru 26 encompass the gift of salvation Oscar received. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross was the payment made for all to receive the gift of salvation and eternal life. Jesus’ resurrection was the event signifying the promise of eternal life with Jesus for all who may believe in Jesus and receive the gift of salvation. We cannot receive this gift through good works, but only though the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Ditreich Bonhoeffer stated it well when he said. “Thus the justification of sinners consists in God alone being righteous and sinners being totally and utterly unrighteous, rather than in-granting sinners their own righteousness alongside that of God. Every desire to possess our own righteousness as well, cuts us off completely from being justified by God’s own unique righteousness.” After receiving Jesus as his personal savior, Oscar indicated the best things having ever happened to him was accepting the gift of salvation from Jesus and meeting his wife Helena.

On March 2, 1973 their first son Jeremy was born. After his Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army, Oscar took his family and returned home to Helena, Montana in the late spring of 1973 where he began his life as a civilian, husband, and father.

Oscar and Helena expanded their family with the birth of Jennifer Lee on March 2, 1976, and Jana Lee on January 27, 1979 while living in Helena. Oscar started his own general construction, remodeling, and home repair business upon returning to Helena. In conjunction with his business, Oscar served with the state of Montana State Lands Department during the summers working supply camps at various large forest fires in Montana. Oscar also excelled in his cooking abilities and worked many summers at the Flathead Lutheran Camp located in Lakeside, Montana. Oscar also exercised his cooking acumen while working as a cook at Carroll College located in Helena, Montana.

Oscar was an avid hunter, fisherman, and outdoorsman. A treasure trove of wonderful memories and unforgettable events will be enjoyed by his family as he devoted as much time as possible hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors with his family. Notably, Oscar found himself on the front cover of the 1985 Spring Issue of the In-Fisherman magazine highlighting a fishing trip in the fall of 1984 while catching lake trout at Tiber Lake with his brother-in-law Mark Bartosik.

As Oscar aged he was diagnosed with Vietnam Era, Agent Orange induced Parkinson’s disease. Due to his health, Oscar retired himself to spending time with his family, friends, and beloved pets. Recently, Oscar was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and though the surgery in Salt Lake City, Utah to mitigate the brain aneurysm went well, Oscar suffered a small stroke a few hours after the successful surgery. After the stroke Oscar was re-habilitated enough to be sent back home to Helena.

On December 15, 2018, at 1:26 a.m. Oscar went home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With sorrow we grieve the loss of Oscar. With joy we are assured Oscar is in Heaven. With peace we are sustained by the grace of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Glory, Glory how the angels sing. Glory, Glory how the loud harps ring. There the Father meets us all along the way, welcoming home His weary and wandering child.

Before his death, Oscar stated he loved Jesus, always. always. Oscar also assured his salvation with his daughter Jana.

Oscar is survived by his wife, Helena Lee, his son Jeremy Lee and Jeremy’s wife Michelle Lee, his daughter Jennifer Shamley and Jennifer’s husband Jeff Shamley, and his other daughter Jana Gruber and her husband Jake Gruber. Oscar is additionally survived by his 9 grandchildren Daryl, Jessie, Josie, Nate, Melissa, Caleb, Tiffany, Abigail, and Rebecca with an expected great-grandchild in February of 2019. Oscar is also survived by his niece Pamela Lee and other family members.

Special thanks from the family to the staff, nurses, and doctors at University of Utah hospital and the VA hospital located in Salt Lake City, the VA Fort Harrison hospital and Apple Rehab located in Helena, Montana. A special thanks also to the Fisher House located in Salt Lake City whose staff provided a home away from home, in providing a room and meals and fellowship during Oscar’s stay in Salt Lake City, Utah.

(Parting Verse)

Hosea 10:12

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

A memorial service celebrating Oscar’s life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at Green Meadow Community Church, 4790 Green Meadow Dr., Helena, MT 59602. Following the service, burial with military honors will be held at Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison with a reception to follow back at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Oscar’s name are suggested to the Fisher House, 690 Valdez Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 or the Green Meadow Community Church, 4790 Green Meadow Dr., Helena, MT 59602 Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Oscar.

Service Schedule

Memorial Service

10:00 a.m.

Thursday December 20, 2018

Green Meadow Community Church

4790 Green Meadow Dr.

Helena, Montana 59602

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Burial with Military Honors

Following the memorial service

Thursday December 20, 2018

Montana State Veterans Cemetery

Fort Harrison, Montana

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Reception

Following the burial

Thursday December 20, 2018

Green Meadow Community Church

4790 Green Meadow Dr.

Helena, Montana 59602

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