He was born in Bee Log, N.C. Nov. 30, 1915, to the late Charles S. and Maude Hensley Lee.
He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Cleveland. He was also very proud of the family heritage at New Friendship Baptist Church in Chatata Valley, where he held membership in his early years and where his grandfather was a pioneer pastor.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Geneva Elkins Lee; granddaughter, Madeline Randolph Mee; son-in-law, Robert S. Henley Jr.; brothers, David Lee and Harold Lee; and sister, Ruth Lee Harmon.
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Campbell Paysinger Lee; children: Patricia Lee Henley, Robert Randolph Lee and wife, Polly, Karyl “Cookie” Mee and husband, Derrick, William Russell Lee and wife, Sally; grandchildren: Robert S. Henley III (Lawana), Sonya Lee Nave (Charles), Derrick “Buddy” Mee Jr. (Melissa), Robert “Randy” Lee (Cathie), William Michael Mee, Brian Lee Henley (Lisa Geurin), Charles David Mee (Celeste), Mary Karyl Ehlert (Steve) and Patrick J. Henley (Katie); great-grandchildren: Ann Catherine, Austin and Adrienne Nave; Lauran Strzalko (Ryan); Morgan, Brandon, Luke, Andrew, Mallory and Alyssa Mee; Kody and Kolton Ehlert; Grace and Lily Geurin-Henley; Samuel and Owen Henley; sister, June Lee Cawood (T.J.), his brother, Jack Russell Lee and several nieces and nephews; and Marjorie’s children: John, Nancy and Jane Paysinger.
The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, May 14, 2012, in the chapel of Fike Funeral Home with the Rev. Michael Cawood, a great-nephew, officiating.
Interment will follow in New Friendship Cemetery in Chatata Valley with his grandchildren serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be David LaBine, Donnie Yates, Elbert Schrader, Ralph Stophel, Frank Robinson and Wayne Smith.
The family will receive friends from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home prior to the service.
The family requests that memorials be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 2368, Cleveland, TN 37320 or the New Friendship Cemetery Fund, c/o Jeff Morelock, P.O. Box 2670, Cleveland, TN 37320.
You are invited to send a message of condolence and view the Lee family guest book at www.fikefh.com.
