Ernest Wallace Lee

Ernest Wallace Lee 70 years old born July 30, 1951 in Waynesville, N.C passed on Wednesday June 29 at Atrium Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. He was the Son of Artis McDowell Lee and John H. Lee, Sr. He was a Member of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Waynesville and Church of Christ in Clyde, N.C.

Ernest attended Tuscola Senior High School graduating in 1969, and went on to attend Winston Salem State University where he received a Bachelor degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting in 1974. After graduating he moved to Charleston, S.C. where he worked as a Manager of a Pic n Pay Franchise several years. He then returned to Waynesville in 1976 and became an Insurance Agent for Combine Insurance Company.

He then decided to work in his career in Business Administration at Champion Paper as a Certified Public Account.

Ernest met his wife Lucille Thompson and they married in August 1982 and had a son Bryan Lee in June 1983. Lucille and Ernest joined the Church of Christ in Clyde, N.C. He was involved in different activities like helping adults and children with special needs and volunteering at Broyhill Children's Home located in Clyde, N.C… He also began teaching at Haywood Technical Institute as a Professor instructing and teaching young adults to complete their GED.

In 2007 he had a severe Automobile accident where a woman had a stroke and hit him head on breaking both of his legs where he had to undergo several operations and numerous rehab. The Medical team stated he would never walk again. The Devil is a liar God had another Plan. Stating God had more work for him to do. Ernest recovered and he went on to care for his mother Artis Lee as she went through her sickness of Alzheimer’s. Later with the help of our younger Brother Jody they cared for our mother and kept the home place in order until her passing in 2010.

After our brother Jody passed in July 2019, Ernest was struggling to take care of the home place and himself. He moved with his sister Nancy to Charlotte, NC in September 2019. His moved to charlotte was a welcome change. It was pleasant and exciting and we enjoyed each other's company talking about our childhood memories and experiencing new things. Later he became sick with Parkinson’s in January 2021 requiring multiple hospitalization. With this declining disease he continued to still walk and praise God and read his bible daily.

Ernest is survived by his ex-wife Lucille Lee and his son Bryan Lee His brother Charles(Linda) Malik, sister Nancy Lee Bell of Charlotte and Aunt Josephine Hall of Asheville and a host of nieces and and nephews and cousins.

Home going services will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church. The family will receive friends from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm on Saturday prior to the service at Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Burial will follow services at Garrett Hillcrest Memorial Park.

Garrett Funeral Home is caring for the family. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.garrettfuneralsandcremations.com for the Lee family.