Lee Hayden Carlton
In Loving Memory
My 4 brothers and I grew up next door to Lee. He and Barbara moved in when I was 8. Lee was like an uncle to us. His sarcasm was hilarious and it usually came at the best time. He would come over and visit us on Sunday nights. And we loved every minute of it. He was patient and always encouraging when we needed to borrow tools and when we were looking for advice on how to fix things. He added on and remodeled my parents house. And he let them live. Every picture my mom took of Lee remodeling their home, Lee was flipping the bird. He would refer to hid workers as "Jose" and "hose B".
I worked for he and his father, Frank, before I went on my mission. Frank was funny too, but in a scary way. He loved to intimidate and Lee loved to defuse Frank's intimidation. They could've had a sitcom together.
Many times my dad would say, following some inquisition or vehicle crisis, "I don't know, go ask Lee.". My dad appreciated Lee, although he seldom expressed it. In my youth, I enjoyed telling Lee my latest speeding ticket or fender bender stories. He would laugh with his huge smile and his whole body would shake.
Lee loved to speed too Everywhere we went together, he hauled ass. In the 80's, when no one used seatbelts, it was scary to ride with him burning through town with his 460. Loaded or unloaded, we got there fast.
Lee had very colorful sayings. All of them were inapropriate, and spot on. Barbara would follow by yelling, "Leeeee!!!!!"
I will forever charish my friendship with Lee. If I imagined what I would dream of my 4 sons to some day be, and it was between a General Authority and Lee, it would be Lee Carlton all day long.
Dear Carlton Family,
Lee was a true Rock, in my life and in our mutual business lives. Loyal in every way. His insistence on honesty and high performance stood out among his otherwise peers. His care for me and me him stood the test of decades of challenges. He was expert at his work: guiding men and women, regardless of who they might work for to create wonderful buildings for generations to come. His way was mostly quiet in large settings....but one on one he spoke truth in volumes. His love for his Wife Barbara, and his son Lee, Jr and daughter "Queenie" was obvious to all. His valiant determination despite long and difficult health challenges set an example that is not likely to be surpassed.
Lee loved me despite my shortcomings and I loved him for who he was. He was as authentic as they come. I have missed working with Lee and will miss his voice and conversations on the other end of the phone. The words "RFC..... LHC here" will ring in my ears the rest of my days.
Rest in Peace, my great friend.
Bob
I met Lee early in 2006. I was fresh out of the military, I just got married and just had my first child. I can't explain the impact he had on my life. Regardless his strong encouraging words (for those who knew his sense of humor) he was one of my favorite people in my life. It was a pleasure for me to have his influence on my life and I will still quote him until my final days.
I'm a better man knowing who he was and he will be missed.