Jack K. Lee, a long-time University of Arizona marching band director and composer of the school's fight song, "Bear Down, Arizona," died Friday of Alzheimer's in suburban Phoenix. He was 84.
Lee was born in Akron, Ohio.
As a child, he "would put together bands with kids in the neighborhood who had instruments," said his son, John Eckert Lee of Phoenix. "As a kid that was his calling. He new it from an early age."
The elder Lee attended Kent State University and graduated from Ohio State University. Lee served in the Army during World War II before getting a master's degree at Ohio State, where he served as assistant band director.
In 1950, while working at the University of Michigan, Lee was featured on the cover of Life magazine for a story about his innovative marching band choreography, his son said.
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Two years later, in 1952, Lee was inspired to write "Bear Down, Arizona" while flying home from a job interview for marching band director at the UA. He got the job a short time later. John Lee said his father got the idea for the composition as the plane flew over Bear Down Gymnasium.
"By the time the plane landed, he had the whole song done," John Lee said. "He wrote it on the back of a barf bag. He didn't have a piece of paper."
It was the first march his father wrote, Lee said, but the elder Lee eventually composed 80 works for marching band, orchestra, choir and concert band. While at the UA, Lee also directed the symphonic and concert bands.
Lee left the position as marching band director in 1980 but worked for the UA until 1988.
"He was a perfectionist," said John Lee, who performed in the UA marching band his father directed. "He just has a way to instill quality. He makes you work hard. He makes you want to be a a perfectionist."
Shirlee Bertolini, current baton twirling coach for the UA marching band, met Lee in 1954 when he recruited her after seeing Bertolini entered in a University of Michigan twirling competition. She was the first twirler for the UA and worked with him for 27 years.
"He was absolutely the most wonderful man in the world — smart, caring, brilliant, compassionate, always, always thinking of the students, always helpful," Bertolini said.
Bertolini remembers working with Lee and the marching band on performances for the first Super Bowl game 39 years ago in Los Angeles.
"He was brilliant in all of his shows and the fans loved all the work that he did on the field," said Bertolini, who also remembers taking band trips to Mexico and performing in arenas between bullfights.
"Those are real memories," she said. "You'll never see that again."
Lee is survived by his former wife, Dorothy Oakley Lee of Tucson; sons James Richard Lee and John Eckert Lee of Phoenix; grandchildren Lee Carson White and James Richard Lee Jr. of Phoenix; and his beloved 17-year-old cocker spaniel, Henry. Lee was preceded in death by his daughter, Judith Kathleen White.
There will be a viewing from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday at East Lawn Palms Mortuary and Cemetery, 5801 E. Grant Road. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Bear Down Gymnasium on the UA campus. Marching band alumni will perform at the tribute. The burial will be at East Lawn immediately afterward.
"Bear Down, Arizona" lyrics
Bear Down, Arizona
Let's cheer for Arizona
Let's lift our voices high
Let's cheer for Arizona
The Bear Down battle cry
Let's cheer our team to victory
Let's cheer our team to fame
Let's cheer for Arizona
For spirit wins the game!
Bear Down, Arizona
Bear Down, Red and Blue
Bear Down, Arizona
Hit 'em hard.
Let 'em know who's who
Bear Down, Arizona
Bear Down, Red and Blue
Go! Go! Wildcats go!
Arizona, Bear Down
To listen to variations of the UA fight song, go to
www.arizona.edu/home/ bear-down.php
