Lee Roy Tatom, 91, of Pine Ridge, died Monday, November 1, 2010, at Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth in Beaumont. He was born January 1, 1919, in Springhill, Texas to George Monroe and Lillie Mae (Bonneau) Tatom. In 1942, he entered the United States Navy where he began his tour of duty on the U.S.S. Phelps and proudly served his country during World War II having been awarded two naval medals. Following his service time, Lee Roy married Hazel Foster on February 26, 1946. Shortly after they wed, they moved to the Pine Ridge Community where they became longtime members of Pine Ridge Baptist Church. He worked for Southern Pacific Railroad, and then worked for Transco Pipeline, now Williams Pipeline, in Sour Lake for thirty years until he retired in 1981.
At an early age, Lee Roy began to play the fiddle and developed his passion for bluegrass music. While he played the fiddle and Hazel played the bass upright fiddle with their bluegrass friends for many an audience from 1970 until around 2000, they both became members of Southeast Texas Blue Grass Music Association. In 1998, Lee Roy was inducted into the Lone Star State Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Through God’s Mercy and Grace, our daddy became a hardworking, loving family man, who cherished and took care of his family first and foremost. We will treasure our loving memories and keep him in our hearts forever.
He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Hazel Marie Tatom of Pine Ridge; his children, Jerry Tatom and his wife Cyndi of Sour Lake, Linda Beggs and her husband Bill of Pine Ridge, Roy Leonard Tatom of Sour Lake, Laura Pirtle and her husband Mike of Pine Ridge, and Rhonda Modzelewski of Pine Ridge; six grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren.
Funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, November 4, 2010, at Broussard’s, 530 W. Monroe, Kountze with Reverend Chuck Willis and Reverend Drifty Cates officiating. Burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Plainview Cemetery in Pineland, Texas. A gathering of family and friends will be Wednesday, November 3, 2010, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at Broussard’s.
Memorial contributions may be made in Lee Roy’s memory to Pine Ridge Baptist Church, P.O. Box 568, Kountze, Texas 77625.
Complete and updated information may be viewed at www.broussards1889.com.
