Thomas Brown Lee Jr.

Thomas (Tommy) Brown Lee, Jr. departed this life October 7, 2013 at the age of 93. Mr. Lee was born on August 8, 1920 in Woodville, Mississippi, where he was known as Teeter to family and friends. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a flight engineer for B22s. When he was stationed at the Liberal, Kansas, air base, he met and married his wife of 69 years, Elizabeth (Bette) Singley. Mr. Lee farmed during his entire life at the original Singley farm east of Kismet. In 2007, the Lees relocated to Liberal and in 2009 to the Kingswood Senior Living Community in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Lee was active as a civic leader in his community and served on the Kismet and Southwestern Heights school boards, the Southwest Medical Center board, and the Seward County ASC board. He was a member of the Liberal Elks Club, the Kismet Lions Club, American Legion Post 312, and a founding member of the Liberal Forty and Eight Club. In addition to his community service, Mr. Lee will be remembered by his family and friends for his quick wit and fast speech, his jokes and good humor, and his affection for children.

Mr. Lee was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters. He leaves to mourn him his wife Bette, daughters Leissa Shahrak of Kansas City, Missouri; Marci McGraw of Natchez, Mississippi; Lori Royal of Kansas City, Missouri; son Thomas Lee of South Lake, Texas; and daughter Kari Urbanz of Leesburg, Virginia. He also leaves ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren to carry on his heritage.

A rosary will be said at St. Patrick’s Church in Plains, Kansas, on Thursday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m . Services for Thomas Lee will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, October 11 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Plains, Kansas. Burial will follow in the Plains Cemetery with graveside services conducted by the Liberal National Guard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Mr. Lee’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 .

A memorial service will be held at Kingswood Senior Living Community in Kansas City, Missouri at 2:00 p.m. on Monday .

Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade, Kansas, has been entrusted with services.