Robert Edward Lee

Robert Edward Lee, 86, of Orange, Texas, passed away on December 31, 2025.

Funeral services will be 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange. Officiating will be Lance LaLonde and Lauren LaLonde, Brother John Fortenberry, and Brother Michael Procell. Graveside service and burial will take place at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Ratcliff, Texas on Wednesday, January 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Pawpaw Lee was always known for his planning and organization skills. He made sure to have everything planned for when his time to pass would come, even writing his own obituary. However, though he wanted everyone to know who he was, he wanted everyone to know that he was ultimately saved by God’s grace and not by any of his works here on Earth. With that I will share with you all his words.

Robert Edward Lee was born on October 1, 1939 at his grandfather’s farm in the Rocky Hammock Community near Otter Creek, Florida, and passed to his heavenly home December 31, 2025 in Port Arthur, Texas.

He was the second of four children born to Leona Flowers and William Lawrence Lee. He attended public schools in Otter Creek, Lakeland, and Bronson, Florida. Ed graduated from Bronson High School in 1957. He participated in all sports and continued supporting high school sporting activities during his lifetime and was an avid Deweyville Pirate football fan for the past 48 years.

Ed was of the Baptist faith and attended Hartburg Baptist Church in Hartburg, Texas and Ratcliff Baptist Church in Ratcliff, Texas.

In 1958 he began his career with Owens Illinois Inc. at their Woodlands Operation in Otter Creek, Florida, later moving to their Forestry operations in Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas from 1959-1967. He met the love of his life, Issie Iola Russell in 1959 while she was working at a restaurant in Marsh Harbour where she was born and raised. He would go at closing time and order French fries and she would always stay late, turn the fryers back on, peel some potatoes and make him his fries. It didn’t take long for him to ask her out and they would marry on November 1, 1960. In July of 1967 he was moved to the forestry operations in Lufkin, Texas, later moving to Jasper, and then to the Deweyville/Orange area to work at the papermill. From 1960-1979 he and Issie would have 7 wonderful children, and through the years they had 16 grandchildren, and 31 great grandchildren.

After 38 years of various roles in equipment and mill maintenance in the woodlands, lumber and paper mill, he retired in 1996 from the paper mill in Orange. At the time it was owned by Inland Container Corp., part of Temple Inland Corporate headquarters in Diboll, Texas.

After retirement he spent most of his spare time gardening, hunting, and fishing. Ed thought of himself as a common man, being thankful to his Lord for allowing him to live and work most of his life in the forestry environments of Central Florida, the Bahamas, and the Pineywoods of Deep East Texas, a place that he loved so much.

Through all his travelings and movings he would tell people his home was the Pineywoods of Deep East Texas, the Lufkin/Ratcliff area.

He will be buried beside his loving wife of 57 years, Issie, at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Ratcliff, Texas, in the dense woods of the Davy Crockett National Forest.

He is preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Issie. His mother, Leona, father Lawrence. Brothers, William Lee, Richard Lee, and Larry Lee, and sisters Suzy Nichols and Clarann Bass. Along with many other friends and family members whom he loved.

He is survived by his brother, Mike Lee and sisters Mary Lee, Marilyn Hagermann, and Arlene Gill. Children, Tommy Michael Lee and wife Trudy, Ricky Douglas Lee, Robert E. Lee Jr. and wife, Maria, Pamela Leona McClain and husband Glenn, Connie Mae Russell and husband, Floyd, Missy Ann Lee, Jeff Lee. Grandchildren: Mandi and husband Billy, Stephen and Samantha, Brandon, Haley and husband Joe, Ryan and fiancé Skylar, Jennifer, Jamie, Chris and fiancé Candi, Lauren and husband, Lance, Ashlee and fiancé Travis, Stephanie, Farrah, Mitchell, Mattie and husband, Conner, Reagan and fiancé Sterling, and Peighton. Along with 31 great- grandchildren.

The services for Robert Edward Lee will be livestreamed for the ones who are unable to make it. The livestream can be found under his obituary on. https://www.claybarfuneralhome.com/.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to MASA’s Hope and Community Outreach Center at 657 TX Hwy Spur 272 Deweyville, Texas 77614 or www.setxfoodbank.org.