Timothy Ray Lee

If you knew Tim, then you’d know he was a guy who loved people. He thrived on meeting strangers & giving them a smile & a cheerful word. In his days of health, his main goal was brightening his corner of the world. He had a witty sense of humor & he kept the laughter rolling around him. He didn’t seek a spotlight; he just had a humorous perspective that he’d slip in quietly making the room burst into laughter & his presence enjoyed. As health battles came his way his joy became his strength. He loved spreading so much joy that he even grew out his beard & hair at Christmas time to look like Santa.

He was such a soft spoken & gentle soul, that it caused amazement in how strong he was. Tim finished his battle with cancer, among other health issues, & he finally rests in peace. He left an incredible mark on the lives of those who knew & loved him. He will never be forgotten, yet always sorely missed.

Tim was born in Geneseo, IL, on July 19, 1956, to Rev. Harry & Margie (Beach) Lee. He attended elementary school in Geneseo before moving to Kansas City, KS. where he graduated from Turner High School. After High School he went into the beef packing business. He first started at a slaughterhouse in Kansas City, before moving to Oklahoma, where he eventually became a butcher in retail grocery stores & then became a Meat Merchandiser for Retail. He moved back to the Kansas City area & back into meat cutting for the rest of his life.

He is survived by his wife Kathy (Golden) Lee; step mother Frances Lee; children Michelle (Lee)(Sam) Swofford, Mindy Lee, Sarah (Tony) Lightcap, Mitchell Lee, & Samantha (Evan) Sims; 13 grandchildren & 1 great-grandchild; sisters Connie Shannon, Carol Groze, & Carla Richardson; brothers Bennie (Darlene) Lee, & Chuck Buhler; brother-in-law Ray Ratliff, sister-in-law Lily Lee, and many nieces, nephews, & cousins.

He was preceded in death by both parents, both in-law parents, all grandparents, uncles, & aunts, brother Randy Lee, sister Katie Ratliff, brothers-in-law Jim Shannon & Jamie Richardson, sister-in-law Elaine Buhler, as well as multiple nieces & nephews.

A memorial service to be announced at a later date.