Over a law enforcement career that lasted more than three and a half decades, retired Volusia County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Bill Lee earned a reputation as a "cop's cop," a tremendous administrator and a good friend.The 60-year-old Miami native and Port Orange resident died early Friday morning with his family by his side after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer."We are profoundly saddened and heartbroken over Bill's passing," said Sheriff Ben Johnson. "He was loved and respected by all who knew him, and I was proud and honored to call Bill my friend. He will be deeply missed by the entire community and our thoughts and prayers are with Bill's family as they grieve for their loss."

Lee retired in December after serving 10 years as Johnson's right-hand man, a position to which he was named when the sheriff took office in 2001.Prior to accepting the second-in-command slot with the Sheriff's Office, Lee worked for more than 18 years with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, his last assignment as special agent supervisor in charge of the Daytona Beach field office, a position he held since 1996."Bill was just a fine man; a great cop; a skilled investigator; a tenacious detective; a great administrator and a good friend to many of us," said Louie Mercer, director of the School of Emergency Services for Daytona State College. "The only (way) a person would have a problem with him is if you were a bad guy."

Mercer said Lee was as skilled an administrator as he was a law enforcement officer."He knew how to do things politically and administratively," he said.And Mercer was not alone spouting Lee's accolades."He was a cop's cop and a man's man," said South Daytona Police Chief Bill Hall. Hall added Lee was the kind of person who one could get on the telephone at any time of the day or night and know whatever you needed would be taken care of. "When Bill put his mind to it, he could move mountains," Hall said. "Bill Lee was the kind of guy who could get things done. He is going to be sorely missed."

In addition to serving the citizens of Volusia County and Florida, Lee also worked for the Clewiston Police Department, the North Miami Police Department and the Rock Springs, Wyo., Police Department. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Army.