George "Lee" Congleton, Jr.

George Lee Congleton, Jr., 95, was born in Bryant, Wisconsin on November 13, 1917 and died in Sandpoint, Idaho on October 7, 2013. Raised in Antigo, Wisconsin, Lee, as he was called, met Maxine Freiburger and they were married on January 16, 1939. While living in Antigo, they had two children, George Lee III and Mary Gail. Moving to Cleveland, Ohio in 1941, Lee worked as a machinist while studying navigation and meteorology at Fenn College. Lee learned to fly airplanes when he was 22, and went on to get his commercial pilot’s license and taught flying in the Civil Air Patrol during World War II. After the war, Lee continued as a flight instructor and managed a private airport until 1950. In 1949, their second son, Keith Michael was born and three years later the family moved to San Pedro, California. During his first few years in California, Lee and his half brother, Jake Jacobs, worked as commercial abalone divers. When the abalone population began to decline Lee went back to work as a machinist for Reagan Forge & Engineering. Prior to retirement, Lee spent 17 years working for Continental Can Company as a certified tool and die maker. In his spare time, he was a competitive skeet shooter, winning the 1968 Southern California 20 Gauge Championship. For over fifteen years, Lee taught NRA Hunter Safety classes and was a Boy Scout Master for several years. Later, he began his lifelong hobby of building and flying model airplanes, which he flew in competition. Besides being a hunting enthusiast, he was also an avid fisherman, which brought him to North Idaho, on vacation, in the early 1970’s to fish for kokanee and trophy rainbow trout. In the mid 70’s, Lee became very active in the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club and served as a director for many years. In 1989, Lee and Maxine moved permanently to the Hope peninsula to spend more time enjoying the area and trying to add to his collection of three trophy rainbows. Last October, was Lee’s 33rd. straight year elk hunting in southern Idaho. This past summer, he spent many hours on Lake Pend Oreille doing what he loved best, kokanee fishing. He will be missed as a sportsman, for his extraordinary sense of humor and his knack of telling a story. Lee is survived by his wife of over 74 years, Maxine and his three children, George Lee (Pat) of Sagle, ID, Mary Gail (John) Graham of St. George, Utah and Keith of Dover, ID. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, his half sister Audrey Kenny and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sandpoint, ID at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, October 19, followed by a reception at the PSB community room to celebrate Lee’s life. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made in Lee’s name to the St. Joseph Catholic Church building fund.