Lee Craig Witham

October 18, 1944 - January 18, 2021

SAN DIEGO — On January 18, 2021, Commissioner Lee C. Witham (Ret.) passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife and children following a brief illness. He was 76. He is survived by his wife, Kim; his children Charles, Blake, Tyler, Daniel and Valerie; his grandchildren, Ashlee, Lacey, Grace, Hudson and Cole; his daughters-in-law, Cherri and Chelsea; and his sister, Linda Ely.

Lee Craig Witham was born October 18, 1944, in Los Angeles, California, to George and Thelma Witham. He was raised in South Central Los Angeles and graduated from Washington High School’s Class of ’62, where he was a

competitive swimmer. Four years later, he received a degree in biology from San Diego State University. While at San Diego State, he was an active member of the Sigma Pi fraternity and served four years in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Following college, Lee joined the U.S. Navy, which took him to Vietnam from 1966 until 1969. He served aboard the USS Rexburg (EPCER-855) and as the original First Lieutenant aboard the Brookeclass guided-missile frigate USS Schofield (FFG-3). Although Lee dreamed of becoming an oceanographer, he decided to attend law school. He was serving on the USS Schofield when he learned he was accepted to the University of San Diego School of Law.

Lee graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1972. He spent one year as a sole practitioner, 10 years as a San Diego County District Attorney, and another eight years in private civil and criminal defense practice. In 1992, he took the bench as a Commissioner and continued to serve the San Diego County courts for 25 years. He retired from the San Diego Superior Court in 2017.

Lee was especially fond of the Pacific Ocean and enjoyed sharing it with his family and friends. He often spent time sailing, swimming, and SCUBA diving. He was an avid billiards player and often played in competitive pool tournaments. He also enjoyed sending occasional zingers to the editors of the San Diego Union-tribune under his nickname “Red” Witham. He was particularly proud of his selection as the winner of Steve Breen’s weekly Cartoon Caption Contest.

As a Commissioner, Lee will be remembered for consistently approaching legal affairs in a serious, efficient, diligent and level-headed manner. In his personal life, Lee will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother – and as a reliable SDSU Aztecs fan attending every home game for nearly 60 years.

His ashes will be scattered at his beloved El Moro Beach in Laguna Beach, California. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later time following pandemic restrictions.

In honor of Lee, donations can be made to his favorite charity, the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The donation page can be found at: www.sdmaritime.org/ support-the-museum.

Please visit www. powaybernardomortuary. net for more information.

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