David Byron Lee

David Byron Lee of Clinton, MS died June 24, 2015 in Oxford at the age of 56. David was born in West Memphis, AR on August 2, 1958. After graduation from Clinton High School in 1976, he attended MS College and Ole Miss. He graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Ole Miss in 1982 and worked for several companies before returning to work in the Ole Miss Chemistry Department. David is survived by his longtime partner Debi Snead Yawn and her family and his non-blood related family of Charles, Mitch & Beth Elliott, Trey Smith, John Guthrie, Mike Marshall and Tim Shumaker and countless additional brothers and sisters in Clinton, Oxford and around the country. David is preceded in death by his parents, Ann and Jack Lee, brother, Darrell Lee and his lifelong friends Pat Purviance and Jamie Garner. David was a kind and gentle man that was a devoted lover of animals. He had many in his lifetime and most were named after food. There was Biscuit, Pork Chop, Flour, Cookie and Whiskey to name a few. His surviving dogs are Rebel Yell Lee and Bo Lee. David was a talented writer and spent many hours studying English. This is a poem he wrote Debi a few years ago. “Artisans through their ages, Neolithic to modern counterpart, Depict the glory of surroundings, That awe so inspiring, The sky you are to me. Thinkers with their minds, Ponder the reals of being, Logically it is no surprise, Those images in their eyes, The oceans you are to me. Speakers and voice will carry, The birds and songs they sing, Angels will always show, And cause my spirit to grow, The wind you are to me. The God’s that cause the gray, Are those that bring the shine, Earth’s trembles and its shakes, ‘Tis for my soul’s sake, These things you are to me.” A memorial service will be held Friday July 3. Please contact one of the family members above for the time and location. In lieu of flowers, David would ask for donations to be made in his memory to: ARF of MS, West Mayes Street, Jackson, MS 39213. Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall of this website.