Leon Charles Blackmon, 88, of West Simsbury passed away very peacefully on September 11, 2015. Lee will be remembered as a wonderful husband, father and friend who was loved, respected and enjoyed by all who knew him. He held a wide range of interests, including travel, music, theater, literature and gardening. He was a key player in college varsity basketball and enjoyed a variety of outdoor sports such as skiing, canoeing and backpacking through the Adirondack Mountains, an area he particularly loved. He had been involved with Indian Guides and the CT Horticultural Society. Lee’s thirst for knowledge and love of academics led him to earn multiple degrees throughout his life, including a BA from Bates College, an MBA from Columbia University, a Masters in Taxation from the University of Hartford and a Doctorate of Law from Western New England College School of Law. He was a member of the CT Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Bar Association. Lee was born in Manhattan, NY on August 29, 1927 to Leon and Helen (Larsen) Blackmon and grew up in Bellrose, Long Island, NY. Upon graduation from Jamaica High School in 1945, he attended the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point until he enrolled at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he met Rae Alice Walcott, who became his wife for 62 happy years. They then went to Washington D.C. where Lee served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Following his discharge from the Marine Corps, they lived in New York City where he was employed at Price Waterhouse, then moved to Connecticut, living in Windsor and East Granby, then settling in West Simsbury in 1965. During his years in Connecticut, Lee was associated with Webster, Blanchard & Willard in Hartford and with Heublein, Inc. in both Hartford and Farmington. Lee will be greatly missed by his loving wife Rae Alice (Walcott) Blackmon, his daughter Diane Rae (Blackmon) Taylor and granddaughter Bailey Rae Taylor of Phoenix, AZ, brother-in-law Peter Walcott, nephew Wayne Walcott, nieces Cherie Wurth, Barbara McLaughlin and Christine Morgan and their families. He is predeceased by his son Thomas Walcott Blackmon and his three sisters-in-law. The family would like to thank St. Francis Hospital, Apple Rehab in Avon and Masonic Care Hospice for their fine care. Services for the family will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lee’s memory to the Bates College Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund or to the charity of your choice. To leave online condolences please visit www.vincentfuneralhome.com.