Lee Hunter Breedlove

ALBANY – Lee Hunter Breedlove, 99, of Albany, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Lee was born in Albany, the daughter of the late Harry Malcolm Hunter, Sr. and Mary Estelle Crane Hunter. She lived in Albany most of her life. During her grade school years, Lee and her family frequently moved all around the country, and finally to Panama, as her father found depression-era work as a Civil Engineer on projects such as the Fort Peck Dam, the George Washington Bridge, the Bourne Bridge, and a seawall in Panama. With the outbreak of of World War II, Lee’s family returned to Albany and Lee graduated from Vincentian Institute in the class of 1944.

Lee was a talented dancer, especially in tap and ballet. In Panama she taught dancing to other expat children. Lee could even tap dance on roller skates and on pointe shoes. She was also a talented seamstress, having first learned sewing at her grandmother’s side. She would create wedding gowns, dresses, skirts, coats, curtains, and drapes. She also did extensive reupholstery work.

After high school, Lee was one of the first women accepted into RPI for engineering, but ended up attending the College of Saint Rose as a chemistry major, and in 1945 married the love of her life Horace F. “Breeze” Breedlove. Breeze had just entered the Navy when they were married so Lee traveled across the country on a bus to be near him in San Diego. She found work sewing soldiers uniforms. After the war, and being a firm believer in education, Lee helped Breeze attend Champlain College in New York, then Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, IN. In Fort Wayne Lee worked winding electric motor armatures for G.E.

After Breeze earned his degree, Lee and Breeze returned to Albany with their two children where Breeze began his career as an Electrical Engineer and they continued to grow their family. Lee’s belief in higher education led her to encourage all of her children to earn college degrees. Lee and Breeze had a large circle of wonderful friends who would gather for monthly dinners, and they were devoted bridge players. For years Lee played bridge in a group of ladies and also couples. At one point her ladies bridge group of eight ladies were the mothers of sixty-four children. Lee was a lady of boundless energy, and swam daily at the Ciccotti Center until just a couple of years ago. Her family will dearly miss her love, companionship, her advice, and her stories.

Lee was predeceased by her beloved husband Horace F. “Breeze” Breedlove, and her youngest son Christopher Hunter Breedlove. She is survived by her children Carleen Kasson (Joseph), Mary Pat Fox (The Late John), Brian Breedlove (Sharon), Gregory Breedlove (Laurie), Lisa Lesko (The Late Newland), Laura Hans (Stephen), and Jill Breedlove (Stephen Hladik); her sisters-in-law Patricia Alling (The Late Gordon); and Julie Breedlove (the Late Thomas); and by sixteen grandchildren; twenty great grandchildren; and by many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Harry Malcolm Hunter, Jr. and her sister Patricia J. Standish.

Funeral services will be held in the Hans Funeral Home, 1088 Western Ave., Albany, Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m., and from there to All Saints Catholic Church, 16 Homestead St., Albany at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited, and may call at the funeral home Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. Interment will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery, Colonie. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. To leave a message of condolence for the family or obtain directions to the funeral home, please visit www.HansFuneralHome.com.