Eshleman, Lee (1963-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 May 28 p. 1, 8

Birth date: 1963 May 28

text of obituary:

Profound humor comedian's legacy

Eshleman, half of Ted & Lee duo, gave audiences inspiration and plenty of fun

By Jim Bishop

For Mennonite Weedkly Review

HARRISONBURG, Va. — The props were in place, lighting and sound were ready, and a final run-through had taken place earlier in the day for "Live at Jacob's Ladder," a musical written by and starring Ted Swartz and Lee Eshleman with composer Ken Medema.

But, the performances of the new Ted & Lee production scheduled for May 18-19 at Eastern Mennonite High School didn't go on.

Late in the afternoon of May 17, Eshleman, 43, lost a long struggle with depression and took his life at his Harrisonburg home.

Surviving are his wife, Reagan, and children Nicolas, 12, Sarah, 10, and Gabe, 5, along with countless friends and fans of Ted & Lee from around the world.

"It feels like there's a piece of me missing," Swartz said. "When two appear on the public stage, it diffuses responsibility. There's a shared attention. Something magical happened in those settings. I think how fortunate we were to have had each other."

The nearly 20-year-run of the theatrical team of Ted & Lee began inauspiciously at Spruce Lake Retreat in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Swartz, then a student in his early 30s at Eastern Mennonite University, had prepared a series of comedy sketches for a youth leaders gathering at the Franconia Mennonite Conference-sponsored camp. He wrote material for two people, and at the last minute his partner backed out.

Joseph L. Lapp, then EMU's president, introduced Swartz to Eshleman, a 1986 EMU art graduate who worked part time in the school's print shop and did graphic design work for the university.

Eshleman agreed to accompany Swartz to Spruce Lake, where their performances met with enthusiastic response.

"You guys must have worked together for a long time," was a recurring comment afterward. A friendship formed in the fall of 1987 evolved into a dramatic partnership, Ted & Lee Theaterworks.

The duo began performing comedy sketches that expanded to a full-length production, "The Armadillo Tour."

Their repertoire broadened to center on works based on biblical characters and events, including "Fish-Eyes," a dramatic portrayal of two of Christ's disciples, Peter and Andrew, and "Creation Chronicles," a fresh look at the Book of Genesis and other parts of the Old Testament. They teamed up with actress Ingrid DeSanctis for a Christmas show called "DoveTale," presented hundreds of times over the last 10 years.

"Lee taught me to be funny, but beyond that he was so tender and kind, like a brother," said DeSanctis of Orlando, Fla., where she promotes the arts in a Latino community and is an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida. "When Lee walked into a room, so much light followed. I was privileged to work on stage with him."

Ted & Lee performed regularly at retreats and conferences for many denominations and were featured performers at national events, including Youth Specialties' national youth workers conventions.

They were scheduled to debut a new production at the biennial general assembly of Mennonite Church USA in San Jose, Calif, in July.

Although on the road for weeks at a time, Eshleman remained an active member of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, where be and Swartz shared their creative gifts in worship settings and at a variety show during the church's annual fall retreat. On May 5, during the church's Education Sunday, the duo were part of a music ensemble that incorporated the names of all 180 children in the congregation.

Although he admitted to some apprehension at doing improvisation, Eshleman was a master of the one-liner, pun and of-the-wall rejoinder. One Sunday at Community, just as he and Swartz were about to do a sketch to introduce the worship theme, the church's public address system cut loose with screeching feedback. Eshleman looked around and said, "Jimi Hendriz is here."

Eshleman was born Aug. 28, 1963, at Richmond, the son of J. Robert and Rosalie Hartman Eshleman of Midlothian, who survive. Also surviving are a brother, Curtis Eshleman and his wife, Brigetta Nilsen Eshleman, of Lynchburg; and a paternal grandmother, Arlene Eshleman of Indiana.

A waiting line out the door of Lindsay Funeral Home and down the sidewalk at a family visitation on May 20 bore testimony to the many lives Eshleman touched. More than 800 mourners attended his memorial service May 21 at EMU. A private burial was held at Eastlawn memorial Gardens in Harrisonburg earlier in the day.

"Lee loved wrapping laughter around magical moments of God's grace and presence," Swartz said during the memorial service. "He also loved 'Squirrel Reunions' and spews. He was gifted greatly, flawed greatly, he was greatly human, and he was greatly loved by God and by so many in the world."

Memorial contributions may be made to Our Community Place, 17 East Johnson St., Harrisonburg, VA 22802. The facility serves hungry and displaced people. Eshleman and his children planted vegetables there this spring.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Jun 18 p. 8

text of obituary:

Lee's laughter and tears

VIRGINIA HAM

Jim Bishop

Often, upon encountering Lee Eshleman, I would bop up to him singing lines from the Bobettes' 1957 musical ditty, "Mr. Lee."

For a long time, he didn't believe the song existed. So I dubbed a copy for him. He became a believer.

We talked often about music. We went back and forth trying to see how many music groups we could identify with a color in their name — Moody Blues, Deep Purple, Lemon Pipers.

The inimitable Lee Eshleman of Harrisonburg, Va., a blithe spirit who profoundly influenced my life for nearly 20 years, is gone at age 43. He lost a long struggle with depression and took his life on May 17 at his home. He left us too soon, and much too fiercely.

Lee was a partner with Ted Swartz in the theatrical duo Ted & Lee. They had become household names in the Mennonite church and far beyond.

I last saw Ted & Lee together on stage in December 2006 with the incomparable Ingrid DeSanctis and their retelling of the Christmas story, "DoveTale." I must have seen the play a half dozen times. Each time, it was a fresh nativity for me.

Ted & Lee's material was fresh, imaginative, often slightly askew. They pushed the envelope but never resorted to denigrating people or employing off-color humor.

They had uncanny ability to make biblical characters seem human, vulnerable and believable in full-length productions like "Fish-Eyes," "The Creation Chronicles" and most recently, "Live at Jacob's Ladder." Diverse audiences seemed to relate to their laughter-laced messages of hope.

Lee Eshleman was born Aug. 28, 1963, in Richmond, Va., the son of J. Robert and Rosalee Hartman Eshleman. An Eastern Mennonite High School graduate, he went on to earn a degree in art from Eastern Mennonite University in 1986,

I knew Lee from that point on. From 1987 to 1990, we worked together in the communications department at EMU, where Lee was a graphic designer.

I experienced Lee's incredible creative outbursts firsthand, but I also observed the dark side of this enigmatic man. On occasion, Lee's energy level was such that the small cubicle housing his layout table could barely contain him. Other times, he would sit and count specks on the wall.

I knew he was troubled, but to what extent I simply didn't know or didn't ask.

Of his own volition, Lee left his EMU employment and sought professional help. He worked part time as a waiter while continuing to develop and present comedy material with colleague Ted. Their creative output and reputation quickly spread.

Community Mennonite Church, where Lee and Ted and their families are members, was shaken to the core at the news of Lee's death. The next evening, a grieving service was held at the church.

Some 1,200 came to the local funeral home for visitation with the family on Sunday afternoon, May 20. More than 800 from near and far attended the memorial service in Lehman Auditorium at EMU the next day.

One can scarcely comprehend the devastating blow this is to the Eshleman family — Lee's wife, Reagan, and children Nicolas, Sarah and Gabe — as well as to Ted and Sue Swartz and their families. Community Mennonite has established an Eshleman Memorial Fund to assist with some immediate and longer-range needs.

"What made Ted & Lee 'work' across denominations and with many different audiences was that they were genuine, they believed the stories they were portraying, and they helped us see ourselves in the characters they portrayed," said their manager, Sheri Hartzler.

"What they did was totally unique, always funny, and yet always grabbed you when you least expected it."

Hartzler, who managed the duo since 1995, said Ted & Lee were booked for 20 venues for the res of this year and already had 10 inquiries for 2008. This is fewer than previous years, as they were preparing to do two weeks of video shooting for a major project for the United Methodist Publishing House.

She hopes that "DoveTale" can return for the Christmas season and that the work begun by Ted&Lee will continue. But, she said "it's too early to know what the format may look lie."

Lee Eshleman left a legacy of profound humor that can help assuage the tears. Much of the duo's material has been committed to print and to video. We can return to it again and again — to remember, to ponder, to help us reflect on our foibles and on our need to experience God's unconditional love.

I miss you, friend Lee. I hold close the memories of the many times you spoke to me — in person and through your on-stage characters and commentary on human frailty and on our potential to see glimpses of God's amazing grace.

Jim Bishop is public information officer at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va.

Additional article

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Jul 16 p 11: "Late comedian's gift of humor celebrated" by Paul Schrag