William Henry Lee

William “Billy” Lee October 22, 1935 –January 4th, 2026 William “Billy” Lee was born on October 22, 1935, and grew up on a farm in Mississippi, where he developed a lifelong love of horses and hard work. Both would stay with him for the rest of his life. At the age of 18, Billy joined the United States Air Force, where he proudly served as a Technical Sergeant. After his military service, he proved to be endlessly entrepreneurial. Over the years, he owned three laundromats and A&A Appliance Repair, worked as a civilian contractor at Eglin Air Force Base and Brookley Field in the 1960s, served as a foreman for a mill company, and spent 30 years with the United States Postal Service, retiring in 2003. It could safely be said that Billy was not allergic to work. One of his greatest passions was raising, breeding, and showing Appaloosa horses. Though he owned many beloved horses over the years, his favorite was CenterStage, an award-winning Appaloosa show horse. Billy loved to tell stories—especially about his horses—and he told them so often that most of his family knows them by heart. Billy married his wife, Lynn, on November 24, 1979, in his oldest daughter Penny’s garage apartment—complete with orange shag carpet. Lynn was truly his great love. He also loved practical jokes, though his victims rarely shared his enthusiasm. He once placed a lump of horse manure in his granddaughter’s Christmas stocking, a prank that amused him greatly and one that his granddaughter never forgave him for. Billy believed himself to be very funny, though results varied. He was famously stubborn (a family trait), and his relationship with gravity was complicated. He broke his back three times—because once simply wasn’t enough—all after hurricanes. The first time, he fell off a roof while making repairs; the second, he fell off a ladder fixing his barn; and the third, he fell out of a tree. Learning from mistakes was not his strong suit. He began adulthood at 5 feet 7 inches tall and finished it at 4 feet 10 inches—a physical record of a life lived fearlessly, if not always wisely. Billy was preceded in death by his wife, Lynn Pettway Lee, and his parents, Mary and Abner Lee. He is survived by his siblings: Betty Jean Logan; A.W. Lee Jr.; James Kenneth Lee (Yoli); Charles Wayne Lee (Teresa); Barbara Lynn Morrison; and Phillip Paul Lee (Esther). He is also survived by his children: Penny Lee Smith (Michael); Rebecca Lynn Scott (Jeffrey); William “Bill” Lee Jr. (Dot); and Paul Sellers (Jennifer). He leaves behind grandchildren: William Lee, Lydia Johnson (Brad), Christopher Lee, Sterling Smith, Adam Steele, Savannah Spencer, Stephen Steele, Daniel Sellers, Zachary Lee, Chancy Lee, Cathryn Scott Downie (Tyler), Lila Smith Hanst (Luke), Alex Sellers (Kaci), Carter Sellers, and Sara Smith. He is also survived by great-grandchildren: Anthony Lee, Felicity Steele, Christian Lee, Easton Lee, Brendon Lee, Penny Smith, Wyatt Smith, Laken Sellers, Gideon Downie, and Joshua Downie. Billy will be remembered for his love of horses, his tireless work ethic, his stubborn determination, his stories, his laughter, and a life that left plenty of memories—some of them slightly unbelievable, all of them unforgettable. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Billy’s memory to White Gate Farms Equine Rescue, 2177 Island Road, Mobile, AL 36605, or by phone at (251) 635-5993

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William Henry Lee

October 22, 1935 - January 4, 2026