Jefferson LeCates

Obituary for Jefferson E. LeCates

Jefferson E. LeCates III was born in Camden, New Jersey on June 2, 1935. He passed away at home on October 15, 2024. His parents were Jefferson E. LeCates Jr. and Sarah Grace Price. He lived most of his younger and school years in Woodbury, New Jersey; graduating from Woodbury High School in1953. Sports were an important part of his life, having played Varsity Baseball and Football on two State Championship teams. He then continued to play varsity baseball and football while attending Rutgers University. At Rutgers he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity and served as President in 1958. Since the age of five he was a diehard, loyal fan of the Phillies Baseball Team.

He and his sweetheart, Judith Ferrell, eloped just before graduation and this past June celebrated their marriage of 66 years. They are the parents of eight children.

After graduating from Rutgers with a degree in Engineering and another in Liberal Arts he served four years of active duty in the USAF and two years as a Captain in the Reserves. While being stationed at Itazuke AFB in Japan he was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which he felt was one of the greatest blessings in his life.

After serving in the Air Force, he worked as an engineer for Western Electric in Baltimore Maryland; during that time, he started Night Law School at the University of Maryland. He left Western Electric and became the Manager of Manufacturing for Wilkinson Sword in New Jersey during which time he decided to leave Wilkinson Sword and take advantage of the GI Bill by attending law school full time at the University of New Mexico. He also took advantage of a Summer Program at the University of Utah. Later he took the opportunity to do graduate work at New York University, which was difficult having seven children at the time. Later he learned that NYU had offered him a scholarship, which was never forwarded to him. In the long run he considered it a blessing. For a short period of time, he practiced law in Salt Lake City, Utah, then taught Business Law, Taxes and Advanced Taxes at Brigham Young University after which he worked as a Contract Administrator for Hercules Corporation. While at Hercules he was offered a position as General Counsel for the International Latex Corporation in Delaware.

Other accomplishments were: Executive Producer of the movie BRIGHAM and the record album THE LIONESS AND THE LAMB, featuring Heather Young and arrangements by Lex de Azevedo.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his granddaughter Eleigh. Surviving are his wife, Judith, and children: Jefferson (Monica), Robin Nakano (Kevin), Curtis (Suzanne), Kyle (Patty), Christian ( BJ), Gail Robley (Scott), Jason (Brandi), and Benjamin; sister Muriel Kerlin, thirty two grandchildren and presently, thirty great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family wishes donations to the local food bank