Born on May 31, 1929, Mr. William Lee has seen and done things that not many people can. He has a loving wife, Floyce Lee, six children, 15 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.
He is a hardworking man and a veteran with a history of strong work experience. He went off on his own to work when he was only 17 years old and got his start with Burnham Industries in Stonewall. After working for two years, he joined the navy and then returned back to the textile mill when his contract with the navy had ended.
When the Korean War started and the draft came out, Mr. Lee volunteered with the army and spent two years fighting in Korea. When he came back home, Mr. Lee went back to the textile mill again but stated that he “still wasn’t satisfied.”
In 1958, Mr. Lee joined the navy again for six years. At one point he was stationed on a Marine ship when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened. “When I woke up we were already in Cuba,” remembers Mr. Lee. “We were the first ones down there to block them Russians from bringing those missiles in.” He was stationed on a total of four different ships before he retired from the navy in 1974.
His work wasn’t over, though. His wife had him a job so that after he retired on a Friday, he was at a new job with Pepsi Cola the following Monday. He worked with Pepsi Cola for 32 years before retiring. Still restless, Mr. Lee got a job at Clarkdale School and worked there for six years before retiring again.
When he found out that there was an assistant needed on the handicap bus his grandson, Jacob Dearman, rode, he again decided to come out of retirement and ride the bus to help with the students. “When Jacob retires from high school, I’m going to retire so we can retire together,” said Mr. Lee. He followed through with that statement and is now fully retired.
His favorite career out of everything he has done over the past 90 years has been his navy career. “I served my country with pride.”
“I have enjoyed my life,” said Mr. Lee. “All of my grandkids come up to see me, and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Out of everything he has learned in life, Mr. Lee believes that the most important and valuable lesson he has learned is to live for God first thing, and you’ll live a good life. “I believe that. The first thing in your life is Jesus Christ. When you get old enough to know right from wrong, that’s the first thing you should know in your life—that God is the one and only. There’s no one but him.”
