Dr. Fleet Nathel Lee, 80, of Little Rock passed away August 26, 2020. He is preceded in death by his parents Fleet and Vida Lee. He is survived by Frances Lee, his loving wife of 57 years, three children, and six grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings David H. Lee, Veneta Hines, and Lou Montgomery. Services will be at Pinecrest Funeral home Saturday, September 5th at 11 am.
Fleet N. Lee was born in April 1940 on a farm near Lonoke, Arkansas. He talked about his humble beginnings, including living with his mother and siblings in a tent on his grandfather's farm for nearly a year. He was a rambunctious teenager running the streets in Little Rock, AR.
Fleet joined the military and earned his GED. He served four years in the US Navy patrolling the South Pacific Islands, including time spent on the USS Munro. Upon returning to Arkansas, he worked as a grunt on an AP&L line crew in Pine Bluff, AR.
In 1963, Fleet married Frances, the love of his life, creating a family with her two young children, Pam and Anthony. Their daughter, Jan completed the family in 1964.
In 1977, Fleet decided to research rice diseases for the University of Arkansas and was stationed at the Rice Research & Extension Center in Stuttgart, AR. Fleet was an easily recognized figure in his favorite straw hat out in the fields.
Besides his service to Arkansas rice growers, Fleet was very active in his professional societies. Among his many awards, Dr. Lee received the Distinguished Research Award at the 4th International Rice Blast Conference, Changsha, Hunan, China, October, 2007, in recognition of outstanding life-long research on rice blast. Fleet was forever thankful and respectful of all the scientists who mentored him along the way and with whom he worked with his entire career.
In his private life, Fleet was happiest in his home garden or fishing. He enjoyed playing chess and cards. The last full garden crop he tended was so successful that he offered it up free at the end of his driveway for anyone passing by. Fleet was forever humble and never considered himself better than anyone. He was deeply loved by his family and his friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to a scholarship fund in Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas. Checks should be payable to the “University of Arkansas Foundation Inc.” designating the gift to the “Bumpers College Scholarships in honor of Fleet Lee” in the memo, and mail it to: Gift Services, 300 University House, One University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701
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