After a long struggle with Alzheimer’s, Lee Hines passed away surrounded by his family in the Malibu house that he lived in and cherished for more than 40 years.
The skinny teenager from Hackensack, New Jersey, who had one of the first “garage” rock and roll bands at Oradell High School, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Pace University while working as a loan officer for the Chase Manhattan Bank. His successful 4-decade career in business and finance included positions as CFO for several publicly traded companies, including Applause and Central Garden and Pet.
But his proudest accomplishments involved raising his children in Malibu; he coached his son’s sports teams and his daughter’s soccer teams, chaperoned school field trips, sold hot dogs at the Chili Cook-Off, and set up countless school fundraisers and art shows for his wife’s art classroom.
Music was always an important theme in his life. He played both classical and jazz guitar and compiled an impressive collection of vinyl LPs of great jazz artists from the 50s and 60s. And when he wasn’t enjoying music, he was always “tinkering,” from rebuilding an old Mercedes engine to installing an ersatz sprinkler system to repairing electrical appliances. A fan of classical films, he enjoyed the fellowship of the homegrown Ferris Movie Cub for over 20 years.
Lee is survived by his sister Pat Dizenzo, doting daughter, Meredith; loyal son, Warren; and loving wife of 50 years, Diane. And the music goes on always and in all ways.