Graham Richard Lea (March 6, 1934 – April 3, 2013) was a broadcaster, politician and corporate leader in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. He represented

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...

in the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria. Members ar ...

from 1972 to 1986 as a

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

(NDP), then United Party and finally Progressive Conservative member. He was born in

Nakusp, British Columbia The Village of Nakusp (Sinixt ''neqo'sp'') is beside the mouth of Kuskanax Creek, on the Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Lying between the Selkirk and Monashee ranges, the village is known for its ...

, the son of George Lea and Beatrice Ellen Graham. Lea served in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

from 1951 to 1954 and as a CBC broadcaster in Whitehorse, Vancouver and Prince Rupert. First married to Elaine, who he had three children with, then another son with Sharon Clifford, following he was married to Rozlynne Mitchell for many years until his death on April 3, 2013. Lea had four children - Melanie, Marni, Alex, David and nine grandchildren. Lea served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Highways in the Barrett government and as opposition critic for a number of economic portfolios . After an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the NDP in 1984, he sat as an independent. Lea then sat as a member of the short-lived United Party of British Columbia. In 1986, he became a Progressive Conservative party member. Lea did not run for reelection in 1986. Following his political career Lea served as executive director of the Truck Loggers Association for 11 years. During his political and corporate tenure Lea was a strong voice in provincial economic and resource related policies. Lea died on April 3, 2013, at Victoria.

References

1934 births 2013 deaths British Columbia Conservative Party MLAs British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs Canadian Broadcasting Corporation people Mechanics (people) Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Royal Canadian Air Force officers {{BritishColumbia-MLA-stub