James Howard Lee Sr.

Lee Sr.

Decatur

James "Jim" Howard Lee Sr., 90, passed away peacefully at his home on March 16, 2011. A native of Albany, Ga., Jim was born on January 12, 1921 to the late Edward Eugene Lee and Cordelia Alline Lee. His wife of 61 years, Lesley Goodson Lee, passed away in October of 2002. Jim was the third child of three siblings. He was preceded in death by his brother, Randolph Edward Lee, and a sister, Marian Lee Hind. Mr. Lee is survived by his wife, Polly Minter Lee; three sons, James H. Lee Jr. (Lucille) of Decatur, Jerry Lee (Mary) of Rome, Ga., Gene Lee (Nanci) of Cartersville, Ga.; one daughter, Marilyn Lee Jones (Elliott) of Nashville, Tenn.; two stepchildren, Joe Minter (Debbie) of Bay Minette, and Paula Minter Cardwell (Joe) of Wetumpka; eight grandchildren, Susan Lee Williams (Greg), Melinda Lee, Nancy Lee, Karen Lee Davis (C.J.), Stephen Lee, Warner Jones (Colleen), Ali Jones LaCasse (Chris) and Phillip Lee (Jessica); three step grandchildren, Lyle Cardwell, Anna Cardwell and Jessie Minter; three great-grandchildren, Elaine Williams, Katherine Williams and Cooper Davis; and two step great-grandsons, Robert and Danny LaCasse of Holly Springs, N.C. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Lee of Jacksonville, Fla., as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Lee was a 1938 graduate of Albany High School in Albany, Ga., and attended The University of Alabama where he was a member of the Million Dollar Band. After attending McKenzie Business College in Chattanooga, Tenn., he served in the U.S. Navy for four years during World War II. He married his wife, Lesley, in 1941. After the birth of Jimmy and Jerry in Chattanooga, he moved the family to Nashville, where he worked for Johns Manville Company. In 1949, he settled in Decatur and became a local entrepreneur who founded Dixie Freezer, Inc., Riverside Senior Living Apartments and Village Creek Estates. Mr. Lee was a deacon at First Baptist Church and a member and past president of the Decatur Rotary Club. He was also on the board of directors of First Federal Savings and Loan.

The family will receive friends Friday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Roselawn Funeral Home and also one hour prior to the service at the church.

Dr. Bill Hurt and the Rev. Roger Jenkins will conduct the memorial service at First Baptist Church, 123 Church St. N.E., on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Roselawn Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Ralph Burns, Stan Evans, Archie Hampton, Lee Johnson, Bill Sexton, Hardy Smith, Wayne Wales and Ken Wallick. Honorary pallbearers will be Wayne Bowen, Jimmy Burfield, Bobby Campbell, Byron Carroll, Hugh Hillhouse, Joe Hines, Larry Keen, David Pennington, Ewell Russell, Larry Rutledge, Ralph Stout, Bearl Whitsett, and the Sunday school classes of Bob Christian and Archie Hampton at First Baptist Church.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 1667, Decatur, AL 35602 or Hospice of the Valley, P.O. Box 2745, Decatur, AL 35602.

Published in the Decatur Daily on March 17, 2011 Follow this Obituary

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