On April 9, 2021, Donald Rogers Lee left us low after a long battle with a variety of illnesses. He suffered long, fought bravely, and won more times than he lost. He built a business out of sheer will and determination that came from a place few would understand. His life is a testament to what one can achieve if they are willing to work for it.

Born in Booneville, Arkansas on June 1, 1940, to Dessie and George Lee, Don and his five siblings moved from town to town in Arkansas until they settled in Vancouver, Washington. He graduated from Evergreen High School in 1958 and joined the navy. After completing his duties to his country, he spent several years trying his hand at all manner of professions, but he did not find any of them fulfilling. He left California and found a home in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He worked at Rheem for several years, while completing a degree at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, then known as Westark. He met Diana Durbin, and they were married on August 16, 1974.

He decided that you cannot make money unless you go into business for yourself, so he started a real estate agency with Diana, and bought houses to rent, a fulfilling self employment that suited his desire. He could set his own brutal hours to forge his own American dream, and he accomplished it through hard work. Frequently, this meant at least six days a week. He always advised people to buy land because, as he said, they are not making any more of it.Their first son was born on December 23, 1977.

He continued to work in the real estate industry, figured out how to repair houses, and always had a garden. He was incredibly generous to people with the fruits of his labor. When a tenant fell on hard times, he understood because he was raised in near poverty. When he had too many tomatoes, the neighbors had some as well. When his hard work was done, he helped countless older residents with household repairs, and he brought his garden. He worked tirelessly, and selflessly, to help others. I have never known anyone who worked harder than my father.

Through all of this, Don dreamed of building his own house, so he bought four acres and constructed it from foundation to ridge row, while continuing to build his business and his family They added a second son in 1990, Travis, and a few years later he sent the first one to college.

Don Lee worked well into his seventh decade because it was all he had ever known. It hurt him deeply when he could no longer work on a roof or maintain his garden. He turned to his Bible for solace and his porch for nature, where he fed animals and continued to plant tomatoes. He  never gave up and suffered with an indomitable spirit that people who met him will not soon forget.

A memorial graveside service, with military honors, will be held at the Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 16th, under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Cremation Services in Fort Smith, 914 N. 32nd St. Fort Smith, AR  72903. (479) 434-3901