Lee Roy Lott

Lee Roy Lott, known to family and friends as Lee, passed away on October 27, 2026, in Boise, Idaho, at the age of 87.

Lee was born April 29, 1939, in Toppenish, Washington, to Peter Howard Lott and Lela Jones Lott. His early childhood took his family through Toppenish and Moses Lake, Washington, and Blackfoot, Idaho, before they settled in Salt Lake City. He grew up with his two younger sisters, Colleen and Nancy, both of whom preceded him in death.

From an early age, Lee loved the outdoors and a good challenge. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and spoke fondly throughout his life of trips to Montana with his good friend Bob Halgren. He was also a gifted athlete, competing in football and wrestling. As a senior in high school, Lee placed second in the Utah state in wrestling championship, despite wrestling up a weight class and, as he later discovered, doing it with a broken arm.

Lee was a member of the first graduating class of Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, although getting there required a little ingenuity. Determined to attend the new school, he used an address that wasn’t exactly his own to make it happen. He went on to attend the University of Utah on a wrestling scholarship. The broken arm kept him from competing his first year, and he ultimately decided to leave wrestling behind to concentrate on his studies. Following in his father’s footsteps, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering.

Lee began his career with Pratt & Whitney in Florida, working on jet engine design. Wanting to return to the West, he later worked for U&I Sugar and Martin Marietta Aluminum. He eventually joined the J.R. Simplot Company, where he served as plant engineer at the Hermiston, Oregon, facility until his retirement. A professional engineer, Lee took great pride in his work and was respected by his colleagues for being careful, thorough, and good at what he did.

Lee married Juanita Myrtle Evans on February 6, 1959. They had three children, Evan, Krista, and Louise, who died in infancy. On April 10, 1971, Lee married Mary Jane Phillips, with whom he had two children, Phillip and Stephine.

Family was one of the great constants in Lee’s life. He was a loving father and grandfather and always wanted to know how everyone was doing. One of the ways Lee showed his love was simply by calling. If someone was going through something, or if he hadn’t heard from them in a while, Lee would check in.

He was endlessly curious. Lee loved learning and challenging his mind, whether the subject was engineering, mathematics, computers, politics, or simply whatever had recently caught his interest. If Lee had learned something new, there was a pretty good chance he was going to tell you about it.

More than anything, Lee was a helper. He was kind, friendly, honest, hardworking, and loyal, and he found real happiness in being useful to others. As he grew older and physical limitations made helping more difficult, that desire never left him. He continued to look for ways to help the people around him, even when doing so wasn’t easy for him.

Lee spent more than 20 years in Hermiston, Oregon, where he was active in the Rotary Club and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For approximately the last 10 years of his life, Boise was home. At MorningStar Senior Living, he developed many dear friendships and especially enjoyed his church ward and the musical performers who visited. Music became one of his greatest pleasures. He even kept track of his favorite performers and made a point not to miss them when they returned.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents, Peter Howard Lott and Lela Jones Lott; wife, Mary Jane; his son, Evan; his infant daughter, Louise; and his sisters, Colleen and Nancy. He is survived by his children Krista Hamilton of Moses Lake, Washington, Phillip Lott and his wife Jeralyn of Boise, Idaho, and Stephine Jordan and her partner Craig of Medford, Oregon, as well as nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Lee leaves behind a family who loved him, friends who valued him, and a lifetime of quietly helping others. His curiosity, kindness, loyalty, and desire to be useful to the people around him will be deeply missed.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 1:00 pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6032 N. Five Mile Road Boise, Idaho a graveside service will follow at Dry Creek Cemetery Boise, Idaho.