Carl Wright Lee

Nov 2, 2009

Carl Wright Lee, 85, died Monday, Nov. 2, 2009, at his home. He was born Feb. 20, 1924, and grew up in Englewood. He graduated from Englewood High School as valedictorian of the Class of 1943. He was a member of Chestua Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and teacher. He was a lifelong dairy farmer who received \"Farmer of the Year\" in 1976. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Annabel Lee; his first wife, Carolyn Blackford Lee; one brother, Clyde Lee; one son-in-law, Jim Presley; one sister-in-law, Lucille Lee; and two brothers-in-law, John Smalling and Bobby Koonce.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Lee; eight children and six spouses, Danny and Susie Lee and Steve and Tina Lee, all of Englewood, Larry Lee of Madisonville, Karen Presley of Tellico Plains, Randy and Tracy Lee of Englewood, Dwight and Ruth Talbot of Norway, Melanie and Bruce Adams of Lenoir City, and Byron and Natalie Talbot of Alaska; grandchildren and their spouses, Carolyn Holley, Kim and Teresa Lee, Talor and Jeff Troyer, Clint Armstrong, Jonathan and Tonya Lee, Aaron Lee and fiancée Jessica Whitted, Ryan Lee, Tommy and April Lee, Larry and Dora Lee, Nathan Patterson, Fallon and Madison Lee, Rebecca and Wade Gossett, Erik, Jonathan, Lewis and Alex Talbot and Hannah and David Jenkins; great-grandchildren, Luke, Levi, Lane and Lott Holley, Trent, Logan, Chandler and Katlin Lee and Kyleigh Patterson; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Elsie Smalling and Zoe Della and Charlie Hatchett; one sister-in-law, Jackie Koonce of Rockford, Ill.; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 8 p.m. Thursday in the chapel of Biereley-Hale Funeral Home with the Rev. Jim McElhaney and the Rev. Russ Maples officiating. Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday at Chestua Baptist Cemetery with grandchildren and great-grandchildren serving as pallbearers.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Chestua Baptist Church, or to the building fund of Englewood First Baptist Church, or to the American Bible Society.

Biereley-Hale Funeral Home of Madisonville is in charge of arrangements.