CAMDEN — Leon "Lee" Ivan Frey was born in Los Angeles, California on December 27, 1930 to parents Gertrude (Weissburg) and Frank Frey. Shortly after his brother, James Sigmund, was born, the couple divorced and Gertrude, Lee and Jim moved to West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania to join the household of Gertrude’s parents, Louis and Regina (Altberger) Weissburg. Louis and Regina were proprietors of a general store, a bakery and a butcher shop. In their warm and supportive home Lee learned about good food, Jewish tradition and the importance of family.

Lee and Jimmy were both musically talented, playing accordion and piano professionally for members of their community from childhood. Lee began working in the town’s steel mill at the earliest age allowed, 16 1/2. He was proud to be paid the union rate for his work, despite being too young to join the union.

After finishing high school, Lee joined the Air Force. He was stationed in Wiesbaden Germany. Lee had many vivid and fond memories of his military experiences and travel. It was then and there that he met and married his wife, Naida (Sandi) Seaman, who was also a member of the Air Force.

After discharge from the Air Force, the couple moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they both attended college. Lee obtained degrees from San Francisco State in Industrial Engineering and Music. He sang tenor roles with the San Francisco Opera Workshop and enjoyed acting in college and community dramas.

The couple had three children: Marian Lynne, Phillip Aaron and Diana Lisa. They settled in Milpitas, California where Lee taught music and eventually opened the town’s music stores and teaching studios.

Lee had been strongly influenced by Henry David Thoreau and longed to live a more rural life. At his insistence, the family moved to Lake County, California where Lee, with friends and family, and professional carpenters built a beautiful home on 20 acres of forested land surrounded by the Mendocino National Forest. While in Lake County he and Sandi opened a music store, served on the town’s volunteer fire department and co-owned and flew a small plane.

Eventually Lee and Sandi divorced. Lee married fellow musician Katie Ketchum. The couple, and Katie’s younger sister Hazel, formed a musical trio which performed throughout California and Nevada.

Following the end of Lee and Katie’s marriage, Lee lived in several places in California, Nevada and Colorado.

He married Edna (Becky) Stoltenberg in Williams, California. There the couple established an antiques and music accessories business. They were later proprietors of a hotel and an antique shop in Twin Falls, Idaho, before ultimately settling in Casa Grande, Arizona. Lee and Becky enjoyed very active social lives with wonderful community friends – attending and hosting parties, cooking and continuing to pursue an antiques business in Casa Grande.

After Becky’s death, in 2021, Lee moved to Camden, Maine to live with his daughter, Lynne and her partner, Adam Williams.

Lee was an extroverted and fun-loving person who continued to enjoy music, food and friends throughout the remainder of his life. He passed away peacefully at home, with Lynne at his side, on February 14, 2025.

He is survived by daughters Lynne Frey of Camden, Maine and Lisa Avital of Beit Hashmonai Israel; brother James Frey of Petaluma, California; grandchildren Marian Starkey, Carly Cooke, Meir Avital, Menachem Avital, Shefi Avital, Noah Avital and Skylar Dewberry; and two great grandchildren Marley and Carter Dewberry.

He was predeceased by his parents, his son Phil, and his wives, Becky Stoltenberg and Sandi Frey.

Private family services will be held. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.