Brian Lee

Brian Lee died on January 23, 2021 while a patient at Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Alexandria, VA. He was born on March 16, 1937 in Washington, DC. His parents were Walter R. Lee and Hedwig (Toni) Eyle Lee. One of his grandfathers was William J. Lee, who emigrated from Ireland to the United States in the 1850s.
Brian is survived by his wife, Alice Starcke of Lorton, VA, and other relatives and friends. He attended public schools in Washington, DC, and Fairfax County after his parents moved to McLean, VA. After high school, he served in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years, then was on reserve duty for 2 years while a student at American University in Washington, DC. He completed at B.A. in Communications in 1963, then worked as a reporter for The Washington Daily News. In 1964, Brian joined the U.S. Customs Service as a Public Affairs Specialist and remained there until his retirement in 1994.
Brian and Alice were married in 1982 and took a honeymoon/first anniversary trip to Montreal, Canada in June 1983. While there, they attended the Canadian Grand Prix race.
Brian loved sports cars, vintage cars and racing, almost as much as he loved Alice (though stories differ). He often assisted as pit crew for friends who were amateur race car drivers. He enjoyed driving his sports cars–sometimes owning two at a time. In his early 80s, Brian said he had owned about 60 cars during his adult life. He was active in the Sports Car Club of America—Washington, DC Region, attending many events and serving as a corner worker and other volunteer roles at racetracks such as Marlboro and Summit Point.
Brian also enjoyed writing about motorsports and was a freelance contributor to several automotive magazines. He wrote regularly for The Stopwatcher newsletter, and his “Freewheelin’ “ column was a hit with area sports car enthusiasts for 10 years or so. Brian also wrote for Auto Week, British Car, and Vintage Motorsports. Alice sometimes traveled to races with Brian, and her photos were often part of his car stories.
He was a big fan of motoring journalist Paul Frere’s book “My Life Full of Cars,” and like Mr. Frere, Brian also had … a life full of cars.