Phillip “Tab” Carson Lee

September 22, 2021

Funeral Services for Phillip “Tab” Carson Lee, age 62, of Picayune, MS, who passed away Wednesday, September 22, 2021, will be held Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 12:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Picayune.

Visitation will be Wednesday, September 29, 2021 from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Picayune.

Burial will be in New Palestine Cemetery under the direction of McDonald Funeral Home.

Blake Travis, Mark Herring, and Douglas Dale will officiate the services.

As a child, Phillip learned the value of hard work.  With the help of his “Uncle Brother”, he found his niche in the tugboat industry achieving the rank of captain.  He was proud to be a part of companies such as Tidewater, Gulf Fleet, Delta Towing, American Offshore, and Edison Chouest. He learned from some of the very best and was proud to pass it along. The highlight of his career was working alongside, the NOAA, the Naval Sea Systems Command, and the Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two and the Wotan barge as support for the Monitor Expedition 2002 in their effort to recover the gun turret of the Civil War ironclad, the USS Monitor.

Phillip loved the outdoors. He enjoyed gardening with his friend Dougie who taught him a few tricks of the trade and he was quite pleased with himself when he discovered the Almanac. Fishing  or just riding in the boat gave him peace, especially if he was with Paw and Tyler Upton, his forever friend. We are thankful for the close friends in his circle who kept him busy and encouraged him.

Phillip Lee LOVED Picayune Maroon Tide football.  He was so proud of the accomplishments of the players and the dedication of the coaches, especially his brother Dodd. No one was more proud of the state titles than Phillip and he was quite proud that his son-in-law now wears the school colors.

He was proud to be called “Daddy” by his girls and was so proud of the adults they had become.  He loved his sons-in-law and knew them to be committed, caring husbands and fathers. But most of all, he was “Poppa T” to his eight grandchildren. 

To them, he was Santa Clause, the one who gave them presents for no reason, the one who supplied them with junk food, and the one who made them laugh until they cried in the “Tickle Torture Chamber”.

Phillip Lee loved with his whole heart.  He loved God and God certainly loved him. He loved his friends and he loved his family.  His heart had no limits!

He accepted everyone—flaws and all.  He knew just how to make you feel special and genuinely cared when he asked how you were doing.  As much love as he put out into the world, he struggled to extend that same love to himself.

After his long battle with addiction,  Phillip is now at peace but the struggle still continues for so many. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a charitable donation to sponsor a resident at Damascus Road Recovery Center, for men.

You can donate any amount by visiting redefiningrecovery.com/donate. Choose the “In Memory of Phillip Lee” option in the dropdown menu, to honor his memory.  If you prefer, you can mail your donation to 1734 S. Main, Poplarville, Ms. 39470.  We thank you for taking time to sow into the lives of the hurt and healing during this difficult time.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ezell and Garlan Lee; his mother-in-law, Mary Bustin; his sister-in-law, Linda Burkhalter; his niece, Tabatha Lee Smith; his nephew, Patrick Burkhalter; as well as his beloved grandparents, uncles, and aunts.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife of 43 years Pamela Lee; his children, Angela (Ben) Brantley, Leslie (John Allen) Goff, Ashley (Seth) Hayden; his grandchildren, Bryce Brantley, Brayden Brantley, Carson Goff, Millie Anna Goff, Kobe Hayden, Kamryn Hayden, Annabelle Hayden, Samuel Hayden; his brother, Dodd (Kaye) Lee; his sisters, Gay (Jim) Lee and Gina Lee; his brothers-in-law, Ricky Burkhalter and Paul (Diane) Bustin; his sister-in-law, Bonnie (Ronnie) Gibson; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Obituary, Register Book, and Driving Directions can be found on the internet page, at www.mcdonaldfh.com