Virgil Lee Christie
Virgil Lee Christie (known as Lee)
Born: November 22, 1928 Garden Grove CA
Passed August 21, 2020 Hemet CA
Virgil Lee Christie (known as Lee) was born in Santa Ana on
November 22, 1928 to Lewis Franklin Christie
(age 34) and Lelah Helen (Miller) Christie (age 31) and was
the youngest of four children: Helen Marie
(Christie) Blake-Hedges / Glenn, Burton M Christie and
Dorothy Louise (Christie) Howe. The family lived on
Benton Street south of Ocean Blvd. in Garden Grove when
“Lee” was born. When he was very young the
family moved to Long Beach, Ca. On Thanksgiving Day 1940 at
the age of 12 Lee moved with his parents and
sister Dorothy to a ranch on 8 th St. (now Shaver St.) in
San Jacinto, CA. While growing up Lee was a spirited
young man who worked on the family ranch, rode horses and
motorcycles, hunted, and learned to fly with
longtime valley flight instructor Waldon Weaver at Harmon
airfield on San Jacinto St. at Commonwealth Ave.
Lee graduated from San Jacinto High School in 1947 and
joined the Army National Guard, “G Company”,
224th Infantry Regiment at the Hemet Armory in August 1948
and was deployed to Korea in 1950 where he
served with his Unit, then was transferred to 40 th Division
Supply, and then 224 th Regimental Supply in Puson,
South Korea. Lee was discharged as a Master Sergeant. Upon
returning home Lee drove heavy equipment,
building Highway 395 south of Sun City, Ca. He also drove a
tractor-trailer delivering goods to San Diego and
Los Angeles for So-Cal Freight Lines. For the majority of
his working life Lee was employed by the regional
electricity distribution utility. Originally California
Electric Power Company (Cal-Electric), it was purchased by
Southern California Edison in the 1960s. He was originally
“groundman” and worked his way up to the
supervisory position of Distribution Crew Foreman in 1960, a
position he held until his retirement in 1984.
In 1952 he was introduced by mutual friends to Lylas Adele
Monaghan and they were married October 11,
1952, Lee was 23 years old and Lylas was 24 (she was 4
months older than Lee). Lee and his family lived
mostly in Hemet, Ca with the exception of four years in
Barstow, Ca (1960-1964). Lee could have a gruff
persona but when he warmed to you, he was very social, warm,
caring, generous and giving. He had a great
sense of humor and loved to talk with people.
Lee volunteered for many years as a docent at the Hemet
Museum in the old Santa Fe Depot where he loved
sharing his knowledge and stories with friends and guests of
the museum. He attended Hemet United Methodist
Church and was active in the youth group and the board of
trustees. Lee also tape recorded and deliverd the
weekly church service and delivered the tape to the local
radio station KHSJ for broadcast.
Virgil Lee Christie died August 21, 2020, at the Menifee
Global Medical Center in Sun City, California, at the
age of 91.
Lee is survived by his two sons, Michael Christie, Michael’s
wife, Terry Lee Cobb of Hemet California and
Brian Christie, Brian’s wife, Bobbie Jean Christie of Hemet
California, his grandson, Eric Christie, Eric’s fiancé
Sarah Jaramillo of Hemet California, his
great-granddaughter, Alexandra R. Duke of Tampa, Florida, his great-
granddaughter, Teaghan E. Christie of Stratford, Iowa and
one great-great grandson Jaxson, and numerous
nieces and nephews. Lee’s wife Lylas Christie preceded him
in death on April 11, 1989.
Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the Hemet
Heritage Foundation or the Hemet United Methodist
Church.
