Obituary for Edward David Lee
Edward David Lee, 87, lost his battle with COVID on January 14, 2021. Ed, also known as Pop, Daddy, and PaPa, was born on December 13, 1933 in Tallulah, Louisiana to Frank Ellis Lee and Pearl Mae Atkins Lee, the 11th of their 14 children. They were a family of sharecroppers and moved around north Louisiana for several years before settling in Morehouse Parish, where Ed graduated from Bastrop High School. He accepted a football scholarship to Northeast Louisiana College (now ULM) but was drafted into the U.S. Navy after about a year. He was stationed at the Naval Air Base in Kodiak, Alaska, where he met Margo Charlotte Archibald at the USO in 1956. Little did he know this was the woman to whom he would happily spend the rest of his life answering “Yes, Dear.” They married in Kodiak on February 16, 1957. After Ed was discharged, they traveled across the country to settle in Louisiana. Ed obtained a position with Southern Natural Gas Company, and was quickly transferred to St. Bernard, Louisiana. Promotions and transfers took them to White Castle, LA, back to St. Bernard, Centerville, LA, and Gwinville, MS, where Ed retired as a regional supervisor after 35 years of service. They made lifelong friends wherever they lived, particularly including Jack and Maizie LaFond and Elsie and Jerry Yarborough.
Ed and Margo enjoyed a very active retirement, spending several years at their beloved Blueberry Hill property in Mississippi before relocating to Swartz, LA to be closer to Ed’s siblings. They traveled all over the United States, including several trips back to Alaska. Ed and Margo also enjoyed trips to Hawaii, England, and St. John, USVI. In Swartz, they were active at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. They also supported the Strauss Little Theater and the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. Most of all, they enjoyed hosting large family gatherings. Ed was famous for both his fishing skills (aided by son David during the past few years, including a trip a month before he died) and his fish fries, where family and friends always left with a full belly. He loved the New Orleans Saints, LSU, and the ULM Warhawks, where he was a season ticket holder until recently.
Ed is preceded in death by his parents and his 13 brothers and sisters.
He is survived by his loving wife of almost 64 years, Margo Charlotte Archibald Lee, and his children Suzie Lee (wife, Jan Wiedenbeck), Patty Lee, and David Lee (wife, Laurie Thomas Lee). His grandchildren and great-grandchildren absolutely adored their PaPa: Emily Lee-Stokes (husband, Tim; child, Eddie); Julie Rogers (husband, Kenny; children, Tiffany, Denon, and Jayson); Jay Schroeder (wife, Jessica; children, Jay and Luke); Jackee Slayter (child, Cain); Jordan Slayter (children, Sophia, Mia, Evangeline, and Luna); Jeanette Robinson (husband, Jacob; child, Zoe); Becky Lee; Kristen Lee; and Taylor Lee. He loved his many step grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild as much as the others, and they in turn adored their PaPa. Ed is also survived by sisters-in-law Carla Grant, Oney Vee Cummins, and Jackie Lee and by numerous nieces and nephews and their families on both the Lee and Archibald sides. Ed had many beloved pets over the years, and his current menagerie included Trixie, Tippy, Gypsy, Pancake, and Stinky the Cat.
Due to COVID, a memorial service will be planned at a later time where we can properly celebrate the life of this kind and gentle man with everyone who wants to attend. Honorary pallbearers will be Kenny Rogers, Jay Schroeder, Jordan Slayter, Denon Rogers, Jayson Rogers, Jacob Robinson, Cain Herrington, and Zach Gregory. In the meantime, please wear a mask in his honor until we get past this horrible disease. Donations may be made in his name to St. Lawrence Catholic Church, PO Box 554, Swartz, LA 71281 or to the Strauss Little Theater, 1300 Lamy Lane, Monroe, LA 71201.
Griffin Funeral Home
Monroe, LA
Ed and Margo enjoyed a very active retirement, spending several years at their beloved Blueberry Hill property in Mississippi before relocating to Swartz, LA to be closer to Ed’s siblings. They traveled all over the United States, including several trips back to Alaska. Ed and Margo also enjoyed trips to Hawaii, England, and St. John, USVI. In Swartz, they were active at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. They also supported the Strauss Little Theater and the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. Most of all, they enjoyed hosting large family gatherings. Ed was famous for both his fishing skills (aided by son David during the past few years, including a trip a month before he died) and his fish fries, where family and friends always left with a full belly. He loved the New Orleans Saints, LSU, and the ULM Warhawks, where he was a season ticket holder until recently.
Ed is preceded in death by his parents and his 13 brothers and sisters.
He is survived by his loving wife of almost 64 years, Margo Charlotte Archibald Lee, and his children Suzie Lee (wife, Jan Wiedenbeck), Patty Lee, and David Lee (wife, Laurie Thomas Lee). His grandchildren and great-grandchildren absolutely adored their PaPa: Emily Lee-Stokes (husband, Tim; child, Eddie); Julie Rogers (husband, Kenny; children, Tiffany, Denon, and Jayson); Jay Schroeder (wife, Jessica; children, Jay and Luke); Jackee Slayter (child, Cain); Jordan Slayter (children, Sophia, Mia, Evangeline, and Luna); Jeanette Robinson (husband, Jacob; child, Zoe); Becky Lee; Kristen Lee; and Taylor Lee. He loved his many step grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild as much as the others, and they in turn adored their PaPa. Ed is also survived by sisters-in-law Carla Grant, Oney Vee Cummins, and Jackie Lee and by numerous nieces and nephews and their families on both the Lee and Archibald sides. Ed had many beloved pets over the years, and his current menagerie included Trixie, Tippy, Gypsy, Pancake, and Stinky the Cat.
Due to COVID, a memorial service will be planned at a later time where we can properly celebrate the life of this kind and gentle man with everyone who wants to attend. Honorary pallbearers will be Kenny Rogers, Jay Schroeder, Jordan Slayter, Denon Rogers, Jayson Rogers, Jacob Robinson, Cain Herrington, and Zach Gregory. In the meantime, please wear a mask in his honor until we get past this horrible disease. Donations may be made in his name to St. Lawrence Catholic Church, PO Box 554, Swartz, LA 71281 or to the Strauss Little Theater, 1300 Lamy Lane, Monroe, LA 71201.
Griffin Funeral Home
Monroe, LA