Thomas McAuliffe Lee

Thomas McAuliffe Lee (79), of Hansville, passed away on May 8, 2020 at 11 pm at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma, WA. Tom was born in 1941 of Mary Jane Maher and James Ord, and adopted soon after by Alice McAuliffe and John Edward Lee. He resided at the Milton Hershey orphanage during his adolescent years, graduating with a diploma in candymaking. His career as a submarine sonarman earned him the position of Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Tom was extremely proud of his Naval Service about which he frequently told many sea stories. He served over 20 years on five submarines: Cutlass, Sea Leopard, Carp, Whale, Batfish. He told tales of disembarking at the north pole, playing a ball painted orange on the frozen ice, being attacked by depth charges and torpedos and sailing the narrow passageways beneath the ice in the seas north of Norway.

Tom is survived by his wife of 17 years Lois, his two sons, David and Dan and his daughter Cathy, four sisters (Connie, Theresa, Linda, Letitia) and a brother Jimmy, several grandchildren and great grandchildren living in Pennsylvania and Washington states. Two previous wives preceded Tom in death, Jackie and Beverly.

Tom was active in several naval organizations and served on his residential association in Driftwood Key.

Tom was well liked in his community where he made efforts to help residents construct their dream homes in a beautiful community where he could view submarines traverse the Hood Canal as they deployed to ports around the world. He will be on final patrol henceforth. Carrying on from a background of men with great integrity, his uncle General Anthony McAuliffe refused to surrender in Bastoinne which disallowed the German progress in Belgium. His influence to Tom was to encourage integrity and dedication to a life of military service.