Smith, William
SMITH, William Lee
William Lee Smith of Monroe, Georgia, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2023. Lee was born on June 30,1955, in Monroe, to William George Smith and Myra Clark Smith.
Lee grew up in Monroe and graduated from Monroe Area High School, in 1973. Following high school, he attended the University of Georgia, majoring in Business & Finance, graduating Magna Cum Laude, in 1977. Lee earned his MBA at the University of Georgia and graduated Beta Gamma Sigma. He received additional higher education certificates from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business.
After college, his first job was with Paine Weber. In 1984, he left Paine Weber and went to work for Alex Brown and Sons and had achieved the position of Executive Senior Vice President when he left in 1993 to join Sterne Agee & Leach. He became a Managing Director at Sterne Agee & Leach and also served on the Board of Directors. In 2016, he became an Independent, working with SAS Wealth until his retirement in 2023. Also, Lee was one of the original organizers and directors of Liberty First Bank which was organized in 2005 and opened on June 13, 2006. He was the head of the Audit and Compliance Committee until Liberty First Bank was acquired by Pinnacle Bank in September 2021. Through his career he met and made many life long friends.
Lee had a love of history and was a member of a number of historical groups in Atlanta and Monroe. He served as a Trustee for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation as well as a Trustee for the Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. In Monroe, he served on the board for the McDaniel Tichenor House and the Historic Society of Walton County.
Lee grew up attending the Baptist Church of Monroe. He loved spending time with family and friends. His favorite pastimes were baseball, cooking, traveling, horse racing, and history,
Lee is survived by his wife, Kim Mulkey-Smith; daughter, Julia Smith Thames (Kent) of Charleston, SC; stepson, John Quinn Francis, III (Corinne) of Atlanta, GA; and five grandchildren, (Tripp and Reagan Thames, and Niko, Jonas, and Sibyl Francis); cousins, Cathy Meadows (Greg) of Monroe, GA and family, Jack Smith (Angie) of Monroe, GA and family, Julie Smith Sellers of St. Simons, GA and family, Betsy Vickery Harris of Madison, TN and family; sisters-in-law, Debbie Mulkey Long, and Nan Mulkey O'Kelley both of Monroe, GA.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM, on Friday, August 25, 2023, at First Baptist Monroe, with the Dr. Todd Ware officiating.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Abby Hospice Foundation (215 Azalea Ct., Social Circle, GA 30025) or Faith in Serving Humanity (FISH - 424 East Spring St., Monroe, GA 30655).
Meadows Funeral Home, Inc. was in charge of arrangements.
