William Levi Lee Jr., a retired court commissioner and World War II veteran, died of heart disease Nov. 26 at Esther's Place.

The Ashburton resident was 96.

Born in Baltimore, he was the son of William Levi Lee Sr. and Vivian Brown Cook. He attended Frederick Douglass High School. In 1943, he joined the Army and completed his high school education while in military service.

He was trained as a cook and prepared meals in England, France, Germany and Austria during World War II. He remained in the service and was later stationed in Korea and Japan. He left military service as a sergeant first class in 1957.

He became a correctional officer at the Baltimore City Jail, where he worked from 1958 to 1968. He was then a senior investigator with the Pretrial Division of the old Supreme Bench of Baltimore. From 1972 to 1992, he was a court commissioner with the District Court of Maryland's District I.

He was a member of Douglas Memorial Church and belonged to its usher board and sang bass in the gospel choir.

Mr. Lee was a traveler and enjoyed numerous trips to Barbados and San Francisco.

A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday at Douglas Memorial Community Church, 1325 Madison Ave.

Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Mary Boston Lee, a retired Baltimore city schools principal; a son, William Diggs Sr. of Lutherville; a stepson, Clayton B. James of New York City; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A daughter, Angela Banks, died in 1996. Another daughter, Deborah Diggs Edmonds, died in 2011.