Paul Douglas Lee, Jr, (P.D.), 83, of Starkville, Mississippi died on Saturday, October 26, 2019 in Louisville, Mississippi.
P.D. was born in Starkville, Mississippi, October 12, 1936 to P.D. Lee, Sr, and Olene Thaxton Lee. He was a graduate of Starkville High School and a 1959 graduate of Mississippi State University, obtaining a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. While attending MSU and for four years after graduation he was a member of the Mississippi National Guard, serving for eight years attaining the rank of Sergeant. Early employment was with American Bosch Arma in Columbus, MS and with the Red Stone Army Missile Command in Huntsville, Alabama.
In 1960 a mutual friend introduced P.D. to Brenda Haggard of Louisville, MS and they subsequently married in 1964 and made their first home in Huntsville, Alabama.
He returned to Starkville in 1966 where he joined his father in business that later grew to become Lee’s of Starkville, Inc. During this time he was a member and deacon at First Baptist Church Starkville.
In 1975 P.D. and Brenda were appointed missionaries by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. His career mission service lasted for the next twenty years and led the family to Costa Rica (San José), Spain (Valencia, Denia and Barcelona) and to El Paso, Texas. Among his many work contributions were audio engineering, business management and accounting, and information processing.
P.D. was called to serve at First Baptist Church Starkville as Church Administrator in 1986. Upon his retirement from there in 1991, he continued to be active as an assistant Church Moderator and as an assistant Sunday School teacher with the Berean’s men class, and he stayed involved in service work with local and international mission trips, relief efforts and construction projects.
Among his favorite hobbies were piloting airplanes, wood working, playing guitar, and watching any movie related to John Wayne or Walt Disney. Avid in Boy Scouts, he obtained the highest rank of Eagle Scout and he continued in leadership as an assistant scout master for Starkville Troup 14. His service to scouting was honored in 2008 when he received the Founder’s Award for Scouting.
Tribute provided by Steve Law, Richmond, VA - October 2020
