Flag lowered outside Santa Cruz County courthouse in honor of DA Bob Lee

Dozens of attorneys, court officials, local elected officials and members of law enforcement attended a brief memorial Friday for Santa Cruz County District Attorney Bob Lee.

The flag outside the county courthouse in Santa Cruz was lowered and there was a moment of silence for Lee, who died Oct. 18 after a battle with cancer. He was 57.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Rosell, who will be assuming Lee’s role in the interim, said Bob Lee had been his mentor, colleague and good friend. (See video clip here.)

Lee was a lifelong resident of Santa Cruz County who lived in Santa Cruz with his wife, Barbara Lee, an employee of the county Probation Department. The couple does not have children.

Lee was elected Santa Cruz County DA in 2002, having joined the office as an assistant district attorney in 1988.

Jerry Christensen of Biggam, Christensen and Minsloff, the firm that provides the county’s public defender service, called Lee a formidable and dedicated attorney. (See video clip here)

Also in attendance were several of the county’s judges, County Supervisor Zach Friend, Sheriff Phil Wowak, Sheriff-elect Jim Hart and numerous assistant district attorneys from the office as well as members of law enforcement.

Wowak, who is retiring at the end of this year, worked with Lee closely on many cases. (See video clip here.)

Santa Cruz City Police Chief Kevin Vogel and city council members Lynn Robinson and Hillary Bryant also attended. The three worked closely with Lee in the wake of the shooting death of two Santa Cruz police officers in February 2013.

A full memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. It is open to the public.