Sidney Lee Vaughn

Sidney Lee Vaughn, 93, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend to many, entered his Heavenly Home on Monday, October 27, 2025. He was born June 22, 1932, in Roswell, New Mexico, to George Henry and Matilda Whitcamp Vaughn.

Sidney was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years - Anita and their son Terry Lee Vaughn. He was also preceded by Brothers/Sisters & In-Laws: Larry & Gladys Mayes, Ronnie Moritz, Jerry Oberley, Buster & Christine Vaughn, William & Trisha Whittington, Lottie Yorsky & Bonnie,

And preceded by Nephews/Nieces – John Blake, Gail King, Jerry Mayes, Dennis Owens, Terry Purcell I, Ronnie & Barbara Vaughn, Sr, Ronnie Vaughn, Jr, Betty Jo Yorsky, Jenny Yorsky, Rick Yorsky,

And by his parents George Henry & Matilda Virginia Whitcamp Vaughn.

He is survived by

• His children Bryan Lee Vaughn (Leah), Karen Lee Vaughn, Robin Lee (Bruce Carroll), former son-in- law Lanny Hughes, and daughter-in-law Cathy Vaughn

• His dear sister Mary Moritz Oberley

• Grandchildren Nathan Lee Vaughn, Adam Lee Vaughn (Nairn), Gabriel Lee Vaughn, Benjamin Lee Vaughn, Autumn Lee Vaughn, Hannah Lee (Matt Harrison), Laurin Lee Hughes, and Austin Hughes (Vanessa)

• Great-Grandchildren Sidney Lee, Professor, Malakai, Deacon, and Georgia

• Bonus family Alice, Lalo, & Alexis Torres

• Numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends.

Following his graduation from Roswell (New Mexico) High School in 1950, Sidney moved to Kerrville, Texas, to attend the Kerrville Bible Training Work with plans to become a minister. While there, he met and married Anita Mayes on June 1, 1951. He was 18 and she 14; they were told it wouldn’t last...but last it did! They had been married for 68 years when his sweet Anita passed away in 2019.

After graduating from KBTW, they went to Cleveland, Texas, for his first full-time preaching position. Over the next few years, he preached in Roswell, NM, Eden, and Eola, Texas.

In 1956, they moved to Houston (Anita’s hometown). He was preaching part-time and had a secular job to support their growing family of two young sons – Terry was born in 1953 and Bryan in 1956.

In 1957, Sidney and Anita, along with Anita’s uncle, aunt, and cousin, started a church in South Houston, meeting at So Ho Junior High. After two years, this group had grown and was able to build what was known as Main Street Church of Christ. He preached there until the congregation was able to hire a fulltime preacher (Bro. Eddy Ketchersid) ~1959/1960. His involvement with the congregation didn’t stop though. He became a Deacon and later, an Elder. Also, during that time, his family grew with the birth of Karen in 1958 and Robin in 1960.

In 1974, the church took on the oversight of a mission (Namikango) in Malawi, Africa. Sidney was the

Elder and Stateside Director for that mission for 47 years. He took a few trips to Namikango over the years and fell in love with the kind people of Malawi.

In the 1980s, he began regularly painting again (something he had stopped for a couple decades) and used the scenery from his African trips as inspiration for several of his pieces. At this time, most of his paintings were large scale. The last few years found him painting more frequently and on a smaller scale. He began painting for the members of New Beginnings and would welcome repeat visitors and new members by offering paintings of their pets, vacation sites, and other special requests.

In the 1990s, members of Main St. began moving away from South Houston as NASA and the Clear Lake area grew, so they relocated the congregation to Clear Lake and eventually League City. With the move came the name change to New Beginnings Church. He loved his church family and was actively evangelizing to strangers around him, especially the nurses he encountered in the hospital the last couple of years. Several visited &/or attended New Beginnings and one couple got baptized there. He was witnessing and praying for others up to the end of his life here on earth. Now he’s realizing his reward and worshiping the LORD along with the angels in Heaven.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00pm at Forest Park East Funeral Home in Webster, TX, with gravesite interment to follow.

In honor of Sidney’s love for artistic things, we invite you to wear colorful, artistic attire as we celebrate his life in the way he lived it – full of artistry and color.

In lieu of flowers, he requested donations be made to New Beginnings Church, 1415 W. Main, League City, TX 77573 https://nbchurch.com/give/