Bennon Lee, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force and successful businessman, passed away on Monday, January 14 after a long illness.
Bennon was born on September 13, 1932 to James Roy Lee and Ozie Underwood Lee. He was the oldest of ten children. He was proceeded in death by father James Roy and mother Ozie, brothers Billy Roy Lee, Donnie Bruce Lee, Jackie Wayne Lee, and sisters Eloise Lee and Carolyn Woodard, son Anthony Christian Lee, and wife Iona Lee. He is survived by brothers James Harry Lee and Bobby Glenn Lee, sisters Ann Johnson and Mary Perkins, sons Jeffery Lee and Mark Lee, mother of his children, Laverne Ryan, step-daughters Susan Richardson, Deda Richardson, Jann Luker and Carol George, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bennon graduated from Castor High School in Castor, Louisiana, and attended LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he received a degree in forestry. He went on to be drafted in the United States Air Force and served as a B-52 pilot and served in the Vietnam War. Later, he obtained a master’s degree in geodesy from Ohio State University. He used his knowledge of geodesy to map the ocean floor for the United States Military. During his time at the Pentagon, he assisted in the development of the A-10 Warthog.
Bennon married Laverne Donham in 1956, and they had three sons. In 1981, Bennon remarried Iona Williamson and gained a large extended family. Known as “Papa Lee,” Bennon loved his family deeply and poured years of wisdom and knowledge into the younger generations.
In July 1990, Bennon founded Lee Inspection & Consulting Services, Inc. with brother James Harry Lee, sons Jeffery and Anthony Lee, and sister Ann Johnson. He worked tirelessly, treated people fairly, and operated with impeccable integrity. He retired from Lee Inspection as Chief Financial Officer in June 2017 and is well respected, and missed, within the industry.
A memorial service will be held in Joplin on January 26, 2019 at 5pm at The Emerson & Finn’s. Dinner will follow. Please contact the family if you will attend. A burial will be held at Ebeneezer Church on Saturday, February 9, at 11am in Castor, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital of St. Louis, Missouri.
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