Lee Ann Justice Pelea was born on July 16, 1938 in Columbus, Ohio to Col. Dane F. Justice, Sr. and Bernice "Cap" Stubbs. Raised by her Aunt Madge, Lee Ann spent the majority of her childhood in Summit Station, Ohio, along with her twin sister, Jo Ann Baker (deceased), older brother, Dane F.
Justice, Jr. (deceased), half brother, William A. Justice (deceased) and many loving cousins. Later moving to Fairborn, Ohio to live with her father and stepmother, Mildred Justice, Lee Ann graduated from Fairborn High School in 1956. Lee Ann spent her college years in Japan and Hawaii, at Sophia University in Tokyo and University of Hawaii, where she majored in International Affairs, minored in History and graduated in 1960.
Initially planning to study for a masters degree, Lee Ann instead decided to join a new program called the Peace Corps and became the first group of Peace Corps volunteers deployed to the Philippines in 1961. Based in a small town called Tiwi, Albay, while working as a volunteer, Lee Ann met and fell in love with Ramon Pelea, who she later married. Lee Ann lived for 16 years in the Philippines, raising four children and working as a teacher and bank teller.
In 1977, she returned to Fairborn, Ohio with her four children and began a 20-year career in the civil service, working as a computer programmer at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Retiring in 1998, Lee Ann moved to Florida and spent the remainder of her life in Bradenton, living near the water, her children and grandchildren. An active member of the Wandering Wheels Volksmarch Club in Ohio for many years, Lee Ann completed hundreds of 10K walks in every state in the US and in Europe. Lee Ann had a passion for turtles and for many years volunteered with the Anna Maria Island Turtle Walk to support their conservation efforts.
An avid dog lover, Lee Ann lived with a furry companion for the majority of her adult life, including Barney, Harry, Poppi, and Buckeye. Lee Ann will be greatly missed and is survived by her children, Jeanette Francois, Mark Pelea, Ginger Wolf, and Bernice Pelea; her daughter-in-law, Minnie Pelea; her sons-in-law, Brian Wolf and Kevin Gift; her grandchildren, Alexianna Francois, Alleque Pelea, Tyler Wolf and Toby Pelea; and her current four-legged companion, Buddy.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch at https://islandturtlewatch.com/donate/
