Services for Mr. Roland Elgin Lea will be held on August 14, 2024, at 10:00am At Riverwood Family with interment in Riverwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be August 13, 2024, from 5:00-7:00 pm at Riverwood and will resume Wednesday morning one hour prior to the service.
Roland Elgin Lea, 92, of Brookhaven, passed from this life on August 11, 2024. He was born in Sontag, MS on June 22, 1932, to Ivo Alexander Lea and Naomi Kleinpeter Lea. Mr. Lea served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. After serving in the military, he worked for B & B Dairy before being hired with International Paper Company, where he was a Warden and Heavy Equipment Operator. He was an active member of Easthaven Baptist Church and was a part of the Sr. Adult Sunday School Class.
Roland was very active in his community. He was a member of the Brookhaven Exchange Club for 50 years, he celebrated with the “Greatest Generation Coffee Club” which met at Burger King for many years, and a member of ABATE of Mississippi. He brought joy to children every time he donned the Santa Suit each holiday season while volunteering with the Salvation Army as a “Bell Ringer”. He truly enjoyed life, and he lived with integrity and honor in all he put his hand to.
He was an avid outdoorsman. Roland owned 64 motorcycles and many boats, which gave him the opportunity to share his love of fishing, camping, water skiing, and jet skiing and he was an avid hunter. He was a founding member of the Dixie Springs Ski Club in the 1960’s and he was also involved with Dixie Youth Baseball as an assistant coach. Not only was he proficient in water, but he also took to the air in his ultralight airplane. He was a faithful supporter of his grandchildren’s sports, band activities and dance recitals.
He is preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Doris Coker Lea; his parents; brothers, Phillip Douglas Lea, Roscoe Lea, Ivo H. Lea, Marcus Lea; sisters, Ivolene Lea Coker and Delores Lea Greer.
Survivors included his children, Reggie Lea (Rita), Melinda Calvert (Brian), Dwana Wright (Rick), and Todd Lea; brother, Teunnison Lea (Johnnie); five grandchildren, Rosanna Belle Lea, Laura Elizabeth Wright, John Coker Wright, Austin Todd Lea, and Addison Kenzie Lea; and one great grandchild, John Hayes Wright. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Mildred Lea and Kay Lea; brother-in-law, Hubert Greer and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and other loving family members and friends.
The family would like to extend a very special thank you to Gayla Wardlaw, Darlene Crawford, and Barbara Brewer for their compassionate care of their daddy. We also thank Jaci King and Halo Havens’ wonderful caregivers and the grace shown to him, to our family, and to the friends he leaves behind at Halo Havens
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Brookhaven Exchange Club and the Easthaven Sr. Adults Sunday School Class.
