Medium Pantomime Name Dave Lee Died January 2012 | Nationality British Role Comedian | |
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Dave Lee MBE was a British comedian known for his work in pantomimes around Kent and his work on television. Lee also founded his own charity to help disadvantaged children.
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Career
Lee was born in Broadstairs. At the age of 5, he suffered a bout of tuberculosis and later on, Lee also suffered from a burst appendix, peritonitis, pleurisy, double pneumonia and had his tonsils and adenoids out. Subsequently Lee was sent to a convalescent home in Margate and hated the idea.
He began his career as a drummer at the Chartham Secondary Modern School at the age of 13. He worked as a warm-up man for Michael Parkinson, Michael Aspel and Jimmy Tarbuck. He also appeared on television on the shows The Generation Game, Celebrity Squares, Live from the Palladum and his own golfing series. Lee was also a non-executive director of Gillingham F.C., having been a fan of the club.
In 1994, Lee founded the Dave Lee Happy Holidays Charity and during his lifetime, it raised £2 million for many of Kent's sick, disabled and under-privileged children to enjoy holidays and outings with their families. In 2003, Lee was awarded the MBE for his charity work.
Illness and death
On 9 November 2011, it was announced that Lee had pulled out of the pantomime for Cinderella due to his ailing health days before the rehearsals began. In his absence, Lee's role was rewritten and filled by Sion Tudor Owen.
Lee died of pancreatic cancer on 16 January 2012. His funeral was held at Canterbury Cathedral on 30 January 2012 with Jim Davidson, Richard Digance, and the Lord Mayor of Canterbury in attendance.