Carlton Joseph Lee

It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Carlton Joseph Lee, of Bryan, Texas, beloved father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. Carlton, age of 42, was involved in a tragic traffic accident outside of Waco, Texas on April 22, 2025.

Born at St. Joseph Hospital on March 28, 1983, Carlton was a lifelong resident of Bryan, growing up in the Historic District and Wixon Valley. Carlton graduated from Bryan High School in 2001 and later continued his education at Texas A&M University where he studied accounting. At the time of his death, Carlton was employed by Tom Lyne Mechanical as an estimator, a job he greatly enjoyed as he was able to put to work his talents in engineering, problem-solving, and accounting.

Carlton is preceded in death by his nephew, Alan Neil Breeding; his paternal grandparents Dr. Carlton Lee and Jane Lee; his maternal grandparents, Violet Densmore & H.F. Densmore; his honorary grandmothers, Lucille Tate and Betty Flowers; his godmother, Madelyne Marcom; and his aunts, Cathe Cardenas and Beth Robbins.

Carlton is survived by his seven-year-old son, Larkin Lennon Lee; his parents, Alan & Jan Lee; his sister, Canita Lee; his niece, Mackenzie Breeding, his mentors, Steve & Becky Larkin; his dearest friend, Kristy Petty; his godmother, Belinda Flowers; his aunts, Suzan Timmins, Melody Smith, Kathy Kegans, Cile Swearingen, Nancy Densmore, and Dana Gaddy; his uncles Jeff Lee, Roland Smith, and Loyd Kegans; mother of Larkin, Jessica Bell; his large group of treasured cousins; and his countless friends from all of the communities he touched over the years.

Carlton was a man of few words, but of many interests which led him to explore economics, accounting, theory, philosophy, science, and coding - any topic that could scratch the itch of his intellect. Carlton loved inventive, unconventional, creative approaches to life and enjoyed putting order to complex issues. In fact, Carlton’s father often jokes that Carlton never met a spreadsheet he didn’t like! While Carlton was a deeply analytical person, he was also a truly gifted artist whose talents extended to many mediums including drawing, metal work, sculpture, and writing & playing music. While Carlton was very accomplished with his artwork, he was shy in displaying it, privately gifting pieces to loved ones over the years.

Carlton’s life changed forever with the birth of his son, Larkin, in 2017 and he thrived in his role as a father. Carlton’s happiest and most joy-filled moments were spent with Larkin. Together, they loved to create and play music, investigate the natural world, create artwork at Larkin’s drafting table, go fishing, visit family, and most of all, spend time at their home, “The Blue House”. Carlton encouraged Larkin to be curious, to ask questions, and to be kind to himself & others. Carlton’s family is proud of the legacy of love that Carlton has left for his son Larkin.

Carlton had a deep love for Downtown Bryan and built a beautiful community of creative comrades over the years. Of course, Carlton’s time downtown began in childhood with weekly trips to the Bryan Public Library for a stack of books and to the Dairy Queen for chocolate-dipped kiddie cones. As an adult, Carlton was heavily involved in the revitalization of Downtown Bryan through various projects. He was part of the founding crew of The Village, serving as a conduit for countless people to find community on 26th Street. Carlton worked as Project Manager for the refurbishment of the Grand Stafford Theater as well as Manager when the venue opened to the public and was honored by the City of Bryan for his contributions to the revival of Downtown. Carlton later worked as the Project Manager for the construction of the Lofts at 305 on Parker Avenue. Additionally, Carlton assisted his father and uncle at Steephollow Forgeworks on the installation of the Arco de Luna sculpture at 23rd and Main. When we look around Downtown Bryan, we see innumerable glimpses of Carlton in its buildings and bustling activity. Whether sitting at The Village with a cup of coffee or talking with friends at Revolution, Carlton found his place with the people and community of Downtown Bryan.

In 2021, Carlton was diagnosed with a rare & aggressive Stage 4 renal cell cancer. Through the miracles of modern medicine and the masterful guidance of Dr. Pavlos Msaouel and his staff at MD Anderson, Carlton was declared as “no evidence of disease” in January 2024. It was with renewed hope that Carlton lived the past year bringing great comfort to those who knew how hard he fought to overcome the challenges he experienced over the course of his lifetime.

Visitation will be held on Friday, 2 May from 5-7pm and the memorial service will be held on Saturday, 3 May at 2:30pm. Both events will take place at Callaway-Jones Funeral Home and Crematory (3001 S College Ave, Bryan, TX, 77801).

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center at bit.ly/42RyRop. Please click “I’d like to choose where my donation will go”, then “Other” and provide a specific request to send the donation in its entirety to support Dr. Pavlos Msaouel’s kidney cancer research.

Those who knew Carlton knew that he wasn’t a formal person, so please come as you are and join us to celebrate the life of our creative, charismatic, complex, and courageous Carlton.