Vale Dennis Lee
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are mourning the passing of former second rower and Life Member, Dennis Lee, who passed away peacefully earlier this morning at John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton, after suffering from dementia in recent years. He was 81 years old.
Dennis Henry Lee was born in 1943 in Sydney, his family's surname was originally Levy. His mother Cassandra (a.k.a. Cass) died when he was 21.
Lee was a colourful character throughout his life. During his playing days there were three things he loved most in his life - playing Rugby League, a fight, and women – but, not always in that order. He was nicknamed 'Sluggo' or 'Slugger', because of his aggressive style of play.
Dennis played all his junior football with Mascot and was a member of the winning South Sydney President's Cup side which defeated Easts in the 1961 final by 12-7.
The Rabbitohs graded him in 1961, and he made his first grade debut the following year against Manly at the Sydney Sports Ground, in round 14. In the twelve years he played with the Rabbitohs he appeared in 176 grade games, which includes 30 games in the top grade. His player number at the Rabbitohs is 508. Lee would have played a lot more first grade games with almost any other club, but he never wanted to leave the Rabbitohs or play against them because he had fond memories there and made so many life-long friends including Bob McCarthy, Mike Cleary and John Sattler, which he always spoke highly of.
When his playing career ended, he became a merchant seaman travelling all over the world in cargo ships and oil riggs. He lost a finger on one of those journeys when a big wave hit their boat, and the door slammed hard while his hand was in the way. He quit that job in 1999 after breaking his ankle in two places and then was put on the disabled pension afterwards.
He held membership ticket number 53 as a proud Diamond Member of the South Sydney Football Club until his death.
Oddly enough, he was barred for life from the South Sydney Leagues Club after having a nasty confrontation with the club doorman, and in 1994 he was inducted as a Life Member of the South Sydney Football Club. The fight with bouncers at the old Souths Leagues Club was ferocious, with fighting going all the way down the escalator and Lee threw one of the bouncers through a glass window. Michael Cleary's father, Arthur, stuck up for Lee because he was a legend of the Rabbitohs. Michael Cleary later sent his successful request to make Lee a Life Member of the Football Club.
Lee then moved to Mayfield, Newcastle, with his wife Barbara until dementia took its toll and he was moved into a nursing home to get full-time care. Barbara found it hard on her own to survive and the Men/Family of League gave her a donation towards her living expenses, for which she was grateful.
He told his wife Barbara that he wanted to be cremated and for her to spread his ashes onto the Redfern Oval turf. He also donated his brain to the Sydney Brain Bank, which studies the impact of sports-related brain injuries.
On behalf of everyone connected with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, we offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dennis Lee.
