Richard Lee - 2004

Richard Rochester Lee was born in Fort Worth, Texas on September 20, 1924 to his parents, Robert Edward Lee and Charlotte Rochester Lee.  The Lee family, including Richard, brother Robert Edward Lee, Jr. and sister Anne Lee moved to Coleman, Texas where his father worked as an independent oil operator.  He graduated from Coleman High School in May 1941 and attended the University of Texas, Austin, Texas from September 1941 until January 1943 when he entered the United States Army Air Corps.  He graduated from the U.S. Army Air Corps Flight School at Marfa, Texas on April 15, 1944.  He trained in South Carolina, Nebraska and Illinois in B-52’s and C-47’s.  Richard served in China, Burma and India flying C-47’s across the ("Hump") Himalayan Mountains from December 1944 to October 1945 with the 1st Air Command Group.  He received the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Service Stars, the American Theater Campaign Medal and the Victory Medal.  Richard received an Honorary Discharge from the Army Air Corps in November 1946 at the rank of Captain.  On November 10, 1945 Richard was married to Bernice Cobb Lee of Coleman, Texas.  Following the end of World War II, Richard entered the life insurance business with Coleman Mutual Life.  In September 1950 he was recalled into the US Air Force and served in the Korean War until honorably discharged in July 1952.  During the Korean War he was stationed in Waco, Texas at Connally Air Force Base, in Panama City, Florida, at Tyndall Air Force Base and Valdosta, Georgia where he flew T-6’s, T-33’s, F-94’s, F-80’s, B-25’s and F-86’s and served as a jet flight instructor.

Following the Korean War, Richard returned to Coleman and was employed by Coleman Mutual Life Insurance Company in July 1952.  In 1955 Richard helped organize Life Insurance Company of the Southwest.  In 1955 the company was merged with Coleman Mutual Life Insurance Company and sold in February 1964 to the Halliburton Company of Dallas, Texas.  Richard and his family moved to Dallas in August of 1967.  He became President and Chief Executive Officer of Life of the Southwest in March 1969 and retired from Life of the Southwest in 1989.  Under Richard’s leadership, L.O.S.W. flourished and achieved an "A+" industry ranking.  Richard was also active in the insurance industry serving as President of the Texas Legal Reserve Officials Association and as a member of the Texas Insurance Guaranty Board. 

Richard was well known as active outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing and camping.  He was known and recognized in the Central Texas areas of Coleman, Brown and Callahan counties for developing guided dove hunting on a professional, profitable basis.  He organized "Executive Hunts" in 1990 and subsequently "Executive Outfitters" which has served as the standard for safe, high-quality guided hunting for doves and other species within the Central Texas area.  Executive Outfitters was sold in January 2001 at which time Richard retired, although he continued to serve as a consultant to the company until his death.

Richard is survived by his wife of 60 years, Bernice Cobb Lee, two sons, Richard Rochester Lee, Jr. and Samuel R. Lee, both of Dallas, five grandchildren; Austin Talbott Lee, Parker Allen Lee, Meredith Marie Lee, Robert (Bobby) McKinsey Lee and Shauna Martin, and two great grandchildren, Ryan and Samantha Martin.  He is also survived by his sister Anne Lee of Dallas.

Richard donated his body to Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Texas 4-H Center on Lake Brownwood, TX, RR1 Box 527, Brownwood, Texas 76801, phone 800-432-8342, (325) 784-5482 or The Coleman County Youth Activity Center, 100 Commercial Avenue, Coleman, Texas 76834.  Arrangements were handled with Stevens Funeral Home, Coleman, Texas.