Robert Lee Obituary

Robert W. Lee, Jr. age 63 departed this life on November 7, 2024. He is currently resting in the arms of our Lord. He has been a resident of Fanwood, NJ many years.
Robert was born at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, New Jersey on September 10, 1961. He is the oldest child of Robert W. Lee Sr. and Grace M. Hamlette. He had one sibling, Cheryl Ann Lee.
Robert Jr, known to most of us as Robby, grew up in the Scotch Plains, Fanwood area. He attended Terrill Junior High School and Scotch Plains - Fanwood High School, Class of 1979. He loved sports from an early age and became a model student and athlete. He played Little League baseball. He played on a community softball team and the football team in high school. He played basketball as well and excelled in all three sports. When Robert graduated he was among the top six percent of African American students nationwide.
He attended Pittsburg University on partial scholarship. He returned home after his freshman year ostensibly because he was bored there. His dad expressed his disappointment about him not returning to school. He told his dad he thought he should be happy that he wasn't throwing his money away if he wasn't going to apply himself to his studies.
After returning to New Jersey Robert joined his mother working for Bell Telephone.
Robert was five years old when his mom and dad divorced. He lived with his mother for a time in East Orange, NJ. After 6 months he decided he wanted to live with his dad. He returned to Scotch Plains where his grandmother and aunt were nearby and always ready to help feed him and help him with his homework. According to Robert Sr his mother watched over her grandson like a mother hen.
In 1983 Robert Jr's dad Robert {Bobby) Lee Sr was chosen to be president of the newly formed sanctioning body for professional boxing, the International Boxing Federation (IBF). While Robert Sr was recovering from surgery Robert Jr asked if he could fill in for him. Dad said ok and Robert Jr filled in and quickly learned the boxing business.
He learned quite a lot from the likes of Bob Arum, Don King, Butch Lewis and Lou Duva. His professionalism allowed his dad to be confident in having Robert Jr represent him. Robert Jr started out in charge of championships and eventually became vice president of the IBF. His younger sister Cheryl Ann also came to work for the IBF.
In 1998 Cheryl Ann passed away from complications due to Sickle Cell. Her passing was a tremendous blow for Robert Jr and for their mom and dad as well as all extended family and friends.
After a bribery scandal at the IBF Robert Jr went to work for Comcast Cable as an advertising accountant executive. He was one of twenty people recognized as being the best sellers of advertising. Because of his success people were lining up to work with him. He attributed some of his success to having worked with Arum, Duva and especially King.
Robert Jr is survived by his aunts Constance Mills and Brenda Lee, his uncles Harold Hamlette and Patrick Ham and a number of cousins.
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