LeRoy “Lee” Joseph Kraemer

Lee was blessed with 90 full years of life. He was the son of Roy and Gertrude (Duspiwa).

The oldest of 8 siblings, father to 8 children and step-father to 3. Grandfather to 21 and great-grandfather to 10. Uncle, brother-in-law, cousin, mentor, coach and friend to many and admired by even more.

Lee was born and raised in St. Louis and was a long time member of Local 36 Sheet Metal Workers. He loved the union and devoted his life to its causes and helping its members. He also loved the Navy. He retired from the Navy Reserves after 35 years of service as a Master Chief(E-9). The Navy allowed him to pursue his passion for aviation (and to get out of the house once a month) and travel to foreign lands! He had a bond with his Navy and Sheet Metal buddies to the very end. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

He loved listening to Jazz, traveling with his wife Reita to Montreal and Florida, just to name a few places they went over the years. Volunteer work and politics also interested Lee. He and Reita spent 17 years volunteering as an “ombudsmen” at various nursing homes. He was a fan of Tom Eagleton and many other politicians and worked for years as an election judge. They always seemed to be on the move…

His nephew Jeff shared that he thought of the word “integrity” when he thought of his Uncle Lee. That is a pretty hard word to live up to, but many would agree with him. Whatever your words of remembrance are, please share them with us as they would be nice to hear.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, November 26th from 3-7 pm (Blessing ceremony at 5 pm) at Ambruster Chapel, 6633 Clayton Rd. 63117. The family would like to thank Heartland Hospice who guided us through Lee’s final days. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Salvation Army, 1130 Hampton Avenue St. Louis 63139; Pony Bird Home, #1 Pony Bird Lane, Mapaville, MO 63065; the Kraemer Scholarship Fund @ Local 36  or a charity of your choice. Burial will be private at Jefferson Barracks.

The Family would like to invite you to share photos and memories of Lee here on his Memorial page. Please submit your photos to AmbrusterChapel@yahoo.com.

To view shared photos, please click on the following link: Photo Album