PORTLAND – Leland G. “Lee” Hulst III, Architect and Musician, passed away suddenly at his home in Portland on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. He was 72.

Lee was born in Sharon, Conn. on Sept. 15, 1950, the eldest son of Leland G. Hulst, Jr. and Carol B. (Donovan) Hulst of nearby Amenia, N.Y. He was a direct descendant of the Dutch line of Hulsts from Holland who were among the earliest settlers of the Long Island and Brooklyn areas of New York, as well as shipbuilders of Nantucket and lighthouse keepers of South Addison, Maine.

Lee was educated in Dutchess County, N.Y., and was an exchange student in Helsinki, Finland and was a caretaker in Ibiza, Spain just before entering college. The work of Finnish architects Eliel Saarinen and Alvar Aalto, along with the design house of Marimekko, became a major influence of Lee’s professional life. His passion for music began at an early age, having been trained in classical piano, as well as pipe organist at his family’s church in Amenia. A graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Architecture, prior to practicing his craft, in 1975 he joined the Berkshire-based band ‘Boogity Shoe’, playing his ‘Fender Rhodes ’piano. They traveled to New York and the Northeast States, playing their eclectic sets of popular dance music, as well as their own, and acquired a wide group of faithful fans before they disbanded in 1977. Lee first married Annette Langley of Scituate, Mass. and they resided in the Berkshires and Greenwich, Conn. before moving to Portland, where their son Evan and daughter Kathryn were born and raised. They summered as a family on Long Island, Maine, and commuted via the ferry to work from there.

He was employed as an architect with two different Portland firms, one owned by T. Scott Teas, and another by George B. Terrien, before Lee opened his own home-based business. His personal residential work included additions to stately homes designed by John Calvin Stevens, whose style Lee strictly adhered to with those projects. Lee also designed and oversaw the building of many homes on the islands of Casco Bay and along the Maine Coast, all done in his coveted shingle-style design. Each hand-drawn elevation, an anachronism of the craft in which he derived considerable pride, is a work of art.

In addition to his architecture business, Lee was a church organist in Scarborough for many years where he favored the swelling compositions of Bach and had the honor of playing the Wurlitzer organ at State Theater in Portland for its grand re-opening.

Lee enjoyed cross-country skiing around the Western and Eastern Promenades in Portland during snowstorms and took on the thrill of downhill at Sunday River Ski Resort. Lee always connected deeply. Lee loved to garden and cook for family and friends, hosting parties that brought disparate people together. His wide-ranging interests in culture, arts, gardening, photography, world events, and history, sometimes gleaned from the daily consumption of the New York Times, made him a brilliant and passionate conversationalist on any topic.

Lee met Mitchell Ledford from Chicago Illinois in 2005 and in 2013 Lee and Mitch were married. Lee welcomed Mitch into his extraordinary life and family. Lee and Mitch loved to travel and host gatherings together.

Lee was predeceased by his father, Leland G. Hulst II. He is survived by his spouse Mitch; his mother, Carol Hulst of Portland; his son and daughter, Evan Hulst of Dripping Springs, Texas and Kathryn Hulst of South Portland; his siblings Peter Hulst and his wife Ann of Falmouth, Janice (Hulst) Murphy of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Cheryl (Hulst) Benoit and her husband Vance of Brunswick, Curtis Hulst of Rhode Island; several nieces and nephews; and two granddaughters, Adelyn and Amelia, of whom he was very proud.

Visiting hours celebrating Lee’s life will be held on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. A funeral service will follow in the chapel at 6:00 p.m. A private burial will be held in Portland.

To view Lee’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com



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