Lee Otis Newsome, Jr., age 42, died on March 16, 2020, in the comfort of his home due to medical complications.

Mr. Newsome was survived by his wife, Jennifer; five children, Latasha Rushing (married to SSG Damon Rushing), Tevin Branch, Korbyn Newsome, Gabe Newsome and Samuel Lee Newsome.

He was the only son of SFC Leoatis and Linda Newsome of Mendenhall, Mississippi. He also left behind two sisters, Valerie Edmonds of Houston, Texas and Ebony Hall of Mendenhall, Mississippi; and nephews, Zhamien Lovell-Newsome and Kendahl and Kevauhn Edmonds.

Lee was a US Army Veteran of Operations Desert Fox and Desert Shield, in Bosnia and Desert Thunder in Kuwait and Iraq. He earned the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with rifle bar.

He was born in Washington, D.C. on October 18, 1978, at Walter Reed Army Hospital. His father being a young veteran himself, allowed Lee the ability to grow up in Brussels, Belgium. He attended Flemish Preschool in Mons, Belgium and D.O.D. School until the family was stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas where he graduated from high school and joined the military.

From a young age, Lee had a fascination with electronics. From playing Attari to tinkering with his father's old radio, anything he could do with his hands brought him joy. He frequently put together model cars and became a collector of rare and fine valuables.

He grew into a man that was fond of the "finer things" in life. With this perspective, he entered into the information technology arena and within 14 years became a successful IT professional. He held four Microsoft certifications, as well as a DO1 Top Secret Clearance. This allowed him to travel the world and acquire the finer things in life. Before his passing, he was in the process of transitioning into what he called "his new normal."

We are taking time out to honor this precious soul—son, brother, uncle, husband, father and friend.

His services were held on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 10 a.m. at J&M Funeral Home. He was laid to rest at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Newton, Mississippi.

May you forever rest in peace. Till we meet again.