William David Lee

The Honorable William “David” Lee passed away October 4, 2022, at home from complications of cancer.

Born January 23, 1950, in Greenville, South Carolina, he is survived by his wife of 48 years, Kim Carpenter Lee; two daughters, Laura Lee of Durham, and Kathryn Lee Strup (Nathan) of Greensboro; an adopted son, Anas Salifu of Silver Spring, MD; and three grandchildren, Bo William Strup, Bianca Kate Strup and Brooks Anthony Dennis Strup. He is also survived by his brother, Ernest D. Lee Jr. (June) of Fancy Gap, VA; and two nephews, Joel Lee (Katie) of Winston-Salem and Phillip Lee (Meryl) of Greensboro. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Derwood Lee and Geraldine Williams Lee, and his granddaughter, Sybil Kate Strup.

His family will miss his quick wit, animated storytelling, and kind spirit. When David saw a friend, an enthusiastic grin lit up his whole face.

David grew up in Unionville, a town he would later lead to reincorporate. He attended Mill Creek Baptist Church “every time the doors were open” and enjoyed the freedom of a childhood in the country, spending afternoons romping through the woods with his brother and friends.

He was a proud member of Unionville Troop 169, where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Piedmont High School, Western Carolina University, and the Wake Forest University School of Law.

David spent 27 years in private practice in Monroe, where he represented several municipalities, including Stallings and Waxhaw.

Appointed to the Superior Court bench in 2003, he became the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge in 2006 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 2016. In 2004, the Chief Justice appointed him to the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, which he later chaired.

After retirement, David returned to the bench to preside over the long-running Leandro education case. He valued the separation of powers and believed in the judiciary’s impartiality. Among his many accomplishments in the legal field, David noted one as the best of his career: his role in an innocence commission that restored freedom to a wrongly accused man who served 24 years in prison.

The Governor awarded his highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, to David for his contributions to his community and state.

David shaped his community in ways that will live on after him through service on many boards, including the Union County Board of Social Services, the Community Shelter of Union County, and the Union County Board of Elections. He helped found the Union County Crime Stoppers program.

David served as president of the Monroe Jaycees and received the Young Man of the Year award. A devoted member of the Monroe-Union Breakfast Rotary Club for more than 30 years, David twice served as its president and received the Distinguished Rotarian of the Year award and a Paul Harris Fellow award. He was a faithful member of First Baptist Church for more than four decades.

David balanced his passion for the law and his community with a mix of hobbies including golf and fishing. He and Kim loved to travel, and he proudly checked off his 50th state - North Dakota - last summer. He loved music and proved it was never too late to learn something new by taking up the fiddle at age 50. At a weekly gathering, he would sing and play his fiddle with “the boys at the loft.”

The family extends their gratitude to the providers who gave him exceptional care: the teams of Dr. Greg Brouse, Dr. John Vick, and Dr. Christopher Vieau at Atrium Health; and the team of Dr. Milind Javle at MD Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, 5526 West 13400 South, #510, Herriman, UT 84096 or The Community Shelter of Union County, 160 Meadow Street, Monroe, NC 28110.  Links to donate online will be available down below.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at First Baptist Church of Monroe, 109 W. Morrow Street, Monroe, NC 28112. Per the family’s request, please wear a mask. The burial will follow at Mill Creek Baptist Church cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022, at Gordon Funeral Service and Crematory, 1904 Lancaster Avenue, Monroe, NC 28112.

Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com

Gordon Funeral Service & Crematory is caring for the Lee family.