John H. Lee, at 78; was coach and friend to hundreds of wrestlers at Harvard

Photos by Harvard Athletic Communications/FileJohn H. Lee was head wrestling coach for freshmen and assistant varsity coach for 12 seasons. He then succeeded Bob Pickett in 1968 and compiled a 175-132-3 record as varsity head coach. (Photos by Harvard Athletic Communications/File)

As head wrestling coach at Harvard University from 1968 to 1986, John H. Lee mentored 14 NCAA Championship qualifiers and guided the 1981 team to a school-record 17 victories.

"But when I hear from his former wrestlers," said current Harvard head coach Jay Weiss, "the stories are not about NCAA championships, but of how Coach Lee positively influenced their entire Harvard experience and of how he was one of the most loyal, caring, and generous men they ever met."

Mr. Lee, a 1953 Harvard graduate and two-time Crimson wrestling captain and All-American, died Feb. 10 at Blake Hospital in Bradenton, Fla., nine days after undergoing cancer surgery. He was 78.

"He was an incredibly hard worker and he instilled that in all of his wrestlers," said Mr. Lee's son, David of Barrington, N.H. "He had a Rolodex on his desk at home with hundreds of names of his former wrestlers, and he kept in touch with them and took notes on their conversations. And they kept in touch with my dad, who had a stack of no less than 150 cards on his desk last Christmas."

Mr. Lee won the 1951 AAU wrestling championship and was third and fourth, respectively, in his junior and senior years at the NCAA Championships in the 123-pound class.

Considered one of Harvard's greatest wrestlers, he was later inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Massachusetts chapter).

Rick Sullivan, who was coached by Mr. Lee as a Harvard freshman in 1955 and was later an assistant coach for his longtime friend, said Mr. Lee helped put Harvard wrestling on the map.

"No question that his performance as a wrestler at the NCAAs and his victory at the AAUs got people's attention," said Sullivan, a Cambridge resident. "With all he accomplished, he remained unpretentious and always remembered his friends."

Mr. Lee was the school's head wrestling coach for freshmen and assistant varsity coach for 12 seasons. He then succeeded Bob Pickett in 1968 and compiled a 175-132-3 record as varsity head coach.

His 1983 squad was 19th at the NCAA Championships, the third-best finish in program history.

"Johnny Lee had me to his home in Cambridge for Thanksgiving every one of my four years on his team," said Seymour Morris Jr. (Class of '68) of New York City. "I was not a champion, but I was one of his favorites because I was a "walk-on' and tried very hard. He believed in me, and isn't that one of the great attributes of an athletic coach?"

Tony Cimmarrusti, a 1981 Harvard graduate and an assistant coach from 1984 to '86, also said Mr. Lee was a special person.

"Johnny made wrestling an enjoyable experience in a college sport where there are few fans and the workouts and weight maintenance are tough to endure," said Cimmarrusti, who resides in Grosse Point Farm, Mich. "I was his captain as a junior and senior, and he stuck with me after I broke my hand as a sophomore, and also tore knee ligaments in the Harvard-Yale football game my junior year."

In the summer of 1980, Cimmarrusti stayed at Harvard to rehabilitate his knee and Mr. Lee gave him the key to the gym.

Cimmarrusti sometimes slept overnight on the wrestling mat after working late at the Faculty Club and also stayed at his coach's home in Medford.

"Johnny was one of the funniest and most enjoyable people I knew in my days at Harvard," he said. "I loved the man."

Mr. Lee had a favorite expression when he wanted a Harvard wrestler to grind it out against a superior adversary.

"If your opponent was a real stud and your chances were slim to none," said Bill Mulvihill (Class of '79) of Coppell, Texas, "Johnny would always shake your hand and say 'go out and mill it,' and we all knew that things were about to get ugly. My most memorable moment was when I was about to wrestle Nick Gallo, the national champion from Hofstra, and Johnny went to shake my hand and I caught him and said, 'I know . . . just mill it.' "

Mulvihill lost the match, but wrestled well.

In addition to shaking hands, Mr. Lee once offered a helping hand in an unusual way.

"I will never forget how Johnny would get me unlimited soda for my room since it was provided to some of the top basketball players and he wanted it for me, too," said former captain Paul Widerman (Class of '83) of San Clemente, Calif. "The only thing was, I didn't drink soda, so I gave it to my roommates. When I won at the Olympic qualifying tournament in 1984, part of my motivation was winning it for Johnny and the Harvard team."

Mr. Lee, who grew up in Newton, was a 1949 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was a varsity wrestling captain. He had a 24-4 record as a wrestler at Exeter and also made the finals of the New England prep championships.

He was leading his opponent, 6-1, when he dislocated his right elbow and had to default.

Mr. Lee received an MBA from the University of Michigan in 1955.

After college graduation, he resided in Cambridge and Medford until his retirement from coaching.

Mr. Lee then summered in Brookfield, N.H., and spent most of the year on Anna Maria Island off the Florida coast.

Mr. Lee, an insurance agent prior to his coaching career, ran summer wrestling camps in New England and was a marathon runner, water skier, and Senior Olympics competitor.

He was also a member of the US Olympic Committee and the NCAA Wrestling Coaches Association.

"After I got the Harvard job 15 years ago," said Weiss, "Coach Lee called me every year to ask how things were going and to let me know he was behind me. He was very sincere but also very lighthearted and he always made me laugh. Those calls meant a lot to me. We need more Johnny Lees in this profession."

In addition to his son, Mr. Lee leaves his wife of 46 years, Mary Lou (Clark); a brother, George of Bradenton, and two grandchildren.

A service for Mr. Lee will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at the Kfoury Keefe Funeral Home in West Roxbury. Burial will be at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline.