Roll Call Tribute

Lee William Horton 

July 23, 1946 - August 19, 2024 

Lee William Horton, 78, of San Angelo, Texas passed away August 19, 2024 at home, surrounded by his family.

Lee was born in San Angelo on July 23, 1946, to Mary Jane Nash Horton and Lee Bascom Horton, Jr, the oldest of five children. His grandparents were Minnie Eugenia Cade and L.B. Horton, Sr.

Lee attended local schools and graduated from Central High School in 1964. He then received a business administration and finance degree from Texas A&M University in 1968, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army.

On March 30, 1969, he married his life partner and best friend, Eva Browne Waring at Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

After brief assignments at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, he was called for rotation to Vietnam.

1LT Horton, Airborne, was assigned to the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division as an Infantry Platoon Leader. He was wounded in action in December 1969, returning to the States in 1970. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After convalescing at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio, he returned home to San Angelo.

Lee worked hard to overcome his injury—and he never let it define him or slow him down. He went on to a successful career, and with a life-long dedication to his family, his friends, and his community.

Lee went to work for Hudson Russell at JH Russell and Son as a real estate appraisal and ranch sales agent. Several years later he joined his grandfather, L.B. Horton, Sr. in the mortgage and small business loan business at Horton-Kenley Mortgage Co. After his grandfather’s death, he sold the company to Central National Bank of San Angelo.

A fifteen-year career at San Angelo Savings and Loan followed where Lee was named President and member of the Board of Directors.

In June 1985, he resigned his position and formed a real-estate partnership in Austin, Texas with two friends—The Radisson Group. For the next 3 1/2 years, his firm assisted savings and loans and banks to work out problem loans created by the downturn in real estate and oil and gas.

Returning to San Angelo to help Eva raise their three sons, Lee started a thirty-year career in the securities industry. His business address remained the same, but the name on the door changed three times from Rotan-Mosle to PaineWebber to UBS Financial Services, Inc. As a senior vice president, Lee also served as a Branch Manager. The small office was close knit—he made life-time friends with people he worked with. Lee retired in July 2019.

Lee was active in his community, lending his financial knowledge and assistance to numerous organizations. Early in his career, he served on the Chamber of Commerce Board, a board member and president of San Angelo Country Club, treasurer of the El Camino Girl Scouts, and the Sales Committee of the San Angelo Stock Show. Lee later served as a Board member of the Humane Society of Tom Green County, on the Review Board of the Tom Green County Appraisal District, was an advisory board member of the Tom Green National Bank before its merger, and on the Tom Green County Library Board. For eight years, he also served as a board member and treasurer of the Angelo State University Foundation.

Lee was an active dad and volunteered in all his sons’ activities. He was the assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts, Troop 1—the same troop he and his two brothers earned their Eagle Scout ranks and later, his three sons earned as well. He also coached baseball for years at Northern Little League.

Lee was an active member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and served on the Finance Committee.

Lee looked forward to the fall dove hunt and conclave at the Neuman camp on the Frio, the Spring get-together on the Llano River outside Mason, and the gathering of extended family at Thanksgiving. He cherished his friends and his time with them—the Tuesday Lunch Bunch was a weekly occurrence, as was the monthly dinner with old high school friends.

He was most happy hunting or fishing with his sons or on their many travels together. He enjoyed travels with Eva and friends and family in the USA and oversees to Europe, Russia, Cuba, Peru, Mexico and Canada.

These last few years, Lee was happiest spending time on the porch with Eva at their place at Knickerbocker.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, James Robert Horton and Thomas Mark Horton and an infant son, William Waring Horton.

Lee is survived by his wife of 55 years, Eva, his three sons- James Cade Horton and wife Jackie and daughter Sage Kennedy Horton; Alexander Wildey Horton and wife Sarah and three children, William Nash Horton, Caroline Virginia Horton and Benjamin Wildey Horton; Lucas Browne Horton and wife Laura and two children, Knox Tweedy Horton and June Josey Horton. He is also survived by his two sisters Mary Virginia (Ginna) Horton Beausoleil and husband Luke; and Anne Eugenia Horton Cotner and husband, Bryan; sister-in-law, Cindy Horton; and cousin Susan Chase Minton.

He is survived by his three brothers -in-law Charles Waring and wife Diana, Richard Solomon Waring, Joseph Tweedy Waring and wife Melinda; a host of nieces and nephews including Brent Hodges (Ashley), Brandon (Erin), Jacob (April) and AJ (Holly) Neely, Bascom (Kaitlin) Cotner, Mary, Clem and Bryce Cotner. An extended family of Warings and Tweedys mourn the loss of everyone’s favorite uncle and mentor.

A celebration of life will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11:00. If you wish to donate in memory of Lee’s life, memorials may be made to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Concho Valley Paws, the Knickerbocker Community Center, or a charity of your choice.