Jim Lee

Jim Lee was born on December 5, 1931, in Oak Grove, Louisiana to his parents, Monroe Lee, Sr. and Terry Campbell Lee. Jim was the fourth oldest out of his siblings. Jim was raised surrounded by his brothers, Leonard, Monroe, Robert, Parker and his sisters, Rosie Mae, Cora, Josephine and Carry. Jim was only allowed to go to school until he was in the fifth grade; he had to help work in the cotton field. As a child, he would break into his mother's wooden trunk to steal sugar. Jim met and fell in love and married Odessa Washington; they spent 45 years together. To this union, five children were born, Violet, Yvonne, Karen, Monica and the only son, Ricky. As a child, Violet remembers her father pulling pranks on them; if you were sleep, he would pour hot sauce in your mouth. Monica remembers him taking her to the zoo, and Ricky said he has lots of memories, but the best one is that Jim taught him how to be the man that he is today. By profession, Jim was the grounds keeper at the Denver City Zoo, where he worked there well over 30 years and then retired. Jim's grandchildren remember him always having juicy fruit gum and candy on Halloween; he would not want the grandkids to go out trick-or-treating so he brought the candy himself. His sister in law, Rosetta Myles, said that she knew Jim ever since they were children, and that he was a good man to her sister, Odessa; she will truly miss him. Jim was a fun-loving dad, and grandfather, who enjoyed life and those he encircled. In his free time, he would love to play dominoes, and work in his yard; his grass was the greenest grass on the block. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Odessa Lee; his daughters, Karen Kay Lee, and Yvonne Carol Lee, his parents, Monroe and Terry Lee; his brothers, Leonard, Robert, Parker; his sisters, Rosie Mae, Cora, Josephine and Carry; his grandsons, Melvin Sperman, Jr., Delrod Spearman; his great-grandsons, Gailen Armstrong and Emarree Harvey. Jim Lee departed this life into the embrace of the Lord on January 27, 2017, in Denver Colorado. He leaves to cherish his memory, his children, Violet Sperman, Monica Lee and Ricky Lee all of Denver; one brother, Monroe (Edith) Lee, Jr. of Las Vegas; his grandchildren, Pamela Warren of Texas, Angela Lee of Denver, Zorri Sperman, Texas, Travis Lee, Lamar Lee, Devon Lee, Kishon Lee, Rhonette Parker and Shkitha Lee, all of Denver; 24 great grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends. To know Jim was to love him he will be truly missed.

Funeral Home: Pipkin Braswell Funerals and Cremation - 2050 Uinta Street, Denver, Colorado
Visitation: 2/9/2017 at 4:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO
Service: 2/10/2017 at 11:00 AM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 3370 Ivy Street, Denver, CO
Cemetery: St. Simeon Cenetery - Aurora, CO
Family Gathering: 2/10/2017 - Pipkin Braswell Reception Center - 2428 Ogden Street, Denver, CO