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Former water official for Medford loses battle with cancer By Paul Fattig Former Medford Water Commission manager Bob Lee, head of the commission for 28 years, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. Lee, 76, who retired in 1982, is remembered as a person whose foresight decades ago would improve the quality of life for future Medford residents. "The low rates and things we enjoy now that people take for granted, all came from (Lee's) forward thinking in the early '50s and '60s," said Ed Olson, the current Medford Water Commission manager. "He really provided a legacy for the community -- and he was a great guy, too, a nice person," Olson added. Olson cited Lee's major accomplishments as constructing a second pipeline from Big Butte Springs, which doubled the system's capacity; initiating and overseeing construction of the Robert A. Duff water treatment plant in 1968; and filing for all the water rights the city now has on the Rogue River. "All the successes that we have had were probably due to him," Olson said. "He was a great manager." Eagle Point resident Bud Jess, along with his late brother, Bill Jess, worked alongside Lee on the Rogue Basin Flood Control and Water Resources Association. Lee served as secretary for the association whose work led to the creation of the Lost Creek Dam on the Rogue River and the Applegate Dam on the Applegate River. "He was an outstanding individual," Jess said. "The excellent water that Medford enjoys today can be attributed to Bob. He was really an expert in the field of municipal water." Born in Baker Valley in Eastern Oregon, Lee spent 3 years with the Army Corps of Engineers in the Philippines during World War II. Following the war, he returned to Oregon State University where he earned an engineering degree. He began working as an assistant engineer for the Medford Water Commission in 1947. His first task was to design and construct the expansion project at Big Butte Springs. He was named manager in 1954, becoming the third commission manager in the city's history. During his tenure, the water system grew from serving some 15,000 patrons to more than 65,000. In 1980, he was named Engineer of the Year by the Professional Engineers of Oregon. He was twice chosen as the Rogue Valley Engineer of the Year -- in 1968 and 1976. In 1982, he was named an honorary member of the American Water Works Association, the highest award bestowed by the group. He also held several offices in Pacific Northwest water supply associations. Lee organized a trip of 10 water works managers from the Pacific Northwest in 1979 to Europe and Russia where they toured water works. The trip was part of a People-to-People International tour to exchange ideas and information. He was chosen as Boss of the Year in 1978 by the local chapter of the American Business Womens Association. He was a director of the Medford Rotary Club, and a former officer for the Medford Rotary Foundation. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and four children. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives of Medford. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA