Howard Rodney Lee

Howard Rodney Lee, 66, stepped into eternity on July 29, 2026. He was born on November 21, 1959, to John Bob and Axie Lee in Lamesa, Texas. The family called him Rodney, and he grew up with three sisters: Paula, Kathie, and Julia. Rodney was also very close to his cousins Cindy, Donna, and Dale, whom he considered siblings. His dogs were the loves of his life-most recently Blanca, who preceded him into eternity by only a few weeks. They were inseparable for all of her 15-plus years. Rodney never married, but he had many nieces and nephews. Soon after Rodney's birth, the family began moving west, living in New Mexico, Colorado, California-Lake Tahoe!-before finally settling in Carson City, Nevada. He graduated from Carson High in 1977. He spent the last 12 years of his life in West Texas because he said he needed to be able to take care of his sisters. He was Paula's right-hand man for anything that needed "fixin'" or doing, from chicken coops and lawns to vehicles and animal care. Rodney's work life was varied and included newspaper press work, construction, and manufacturing. He moved several times, living in California, Lake Tahoe, and the Reno-Sparks area. He did whatever he could to afford time on the ski slopes or near the best camping, hiking, and fishing spots. He was also a voracious reader who enjoyed a wide variety of genres, from Westerns to Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which he was reading at the time of his passing. Rod loved animals in general. At the time of his passing, he still had two dogs. Outside, he fed neighborhood cats, a West Texas box turtle, and a couple of escaped domestic rabbits! He maintained his hummingbird feeder and refused to destroy a red ant bed near his driveway because he liked watching the horned toads come to eat them in the morning! Rodney is survived by his sisters: Paula Anderson and her husband, Tony; Kathie O'Brien and her husband, Terry; and Julia Allen and her husband, Mike. He is also survived by his cousins Cindy Bridges and her husband, Mark; Donna Larsen and her husband, Karl; and Dale Bishop and his wife, Rene, as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends who loved him. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Bob and Axie Lee; his uncle Don Bishop, whom he considered a second dad; his aunt Kitty; and Kathy Bishop. He will be missed until we meet again!

Tributes

Howard Rodney Lee

November 21, 1959 - July 29, 2026