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Lee Willis Lee was born in Birmingham, AL on June 7, 1951 and died at home in Tucson on October 14, 2011. He was preceded in death by his father, Walter L. Willis Jr. and by his sister, Anne Yeates Willis. Lee is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Ard Willis; by his sister, Emily Phillips; brother-in-law, John Phillips; niece, Julie Phillips; nephew, Christopher (Barbra) Phillips and their children. Lee is also survived by his extended family in Alabama and Georgia.
Published in the Arizona Daily Star on Nov. 20, 2011.
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Tom Bartlett
When Lee joined my fourth grade class, mid year, I was embarrassed for him, his Alabama accent was so thick. He got rid of it in weeks, kids pressure to fit in being what it is. Lee was extremely bright, with an early bizarre imagination, adamant, for example, that there was no reason people couldnt walk through walls. This always rankled the utterly concrete realist in me, so we'd argue and argue.
By high school, Lee became the very image of Jim Morrison, with the same hair, black leather pants, and stoned out posture. I remember going to, was it Ty Cobb field?, to see The Doors, Lee a 15 year old Jim Morrison, and me, with my frameless glasses, John Densmore. We'd have had something going if we weren't so scared of girls.
Stoned, Lee did truly complex jazz riffs in nonsense syllables, a talent that mostly annoyed me. He had the most amazing library of Freud, Sartre, carrying "Being and Nothingness" with him. His pilot father, "Is that what you want to be, a nothing?" We would mock the phrase, mimicing his deep Alabama accent., though his concern had something to it.
I gather later years may have been even harder for Lee than for many of us. I was very sad to read of his early death.
Jackie Arthur
I was shocked to see that Lee had passed also.What happened? Yes ,He sure did look like Jim Morrison.I was lucky to see the Doors at our own Hi Corbett Field.Funny you would say you were afraid of the girls,the girls were afraid too.
Jackie Arthur
I just noticed you,Lee and I all have birthdays in June. Yours is 3 days after mine.
Ann Renee Smith (Crawley)
Ah, sad. I remember Lee 'cos I loved Jim Morrison. I also saw them at Hi Corbett...sad about Lee.
James Swafford
I didn't know Lee that well but I do remember going over to his house after school with a couple friends one day. Lee was sitting at this big wooden desk with his Jim Morrison hair and black leather pants. We all sat around doing what we did back then and suddenly, Lee picked up a white Gibson SG guitar and started jamming and screaming out the Doors song, "Soul Kitchen". I was sitting there thinking, "this is great!" I was a big Doors fan too and saw them at Hi-Corbet field. I'm very sorry to hear that he passed away. He was a very unique indivdual.
Jim Arneson
I'm sorry that I didn't know Walter, but I did share his interest in the Doors. It was a great concert at Hi Corbet Field. Never forget that day.