Funeral Services for Lee Earl Wade will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2020, in the Wade Funeral Home Chapel. Mr. Wade, age 88, passed away from this life on Sunday, September 13, 2020, at his residence in D' Iberville. Reverend David Aultman and Reverend W.M. Dickens will officiate and interment will be in Station Creek Cemetery.

Wade Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Pallbearers will be Clay Wade, Andrew Money, Beau Money, Trent Cook, Tim Conway, and Roger Walton.

Lee Earl "Tater" Wade was born on December 15, 1931, the first of 5 sons born to Troy Wade and Clara Rawls Wade in Covington County. He was a member of The First Baptist Church of Gautier.

After high school Lee Earl attended Jones County Jr. College until he was employed by AT&T Company in 1952. During his first 4 years of employment he and his family lived and worked in 10 different states. He was open to accept many different positions during his career with AT&T from Truck Driver to Communications Technician; to Engineering placement of first Microwave Towers; to testing Underground Telephone Cables all the way to the Florida Keys; to troubleshooting communications cable laid on the ocean floor from Florida City, FL to Jamaica to Panama.

In 1954 Lee Earl was assigned to the AT&T Central office in Atlanta, Georgia, until 1963 when he volunteered his relocation to the Panama Canal Zone to maintain the Underseas Cable that would provide secure communications for the Military Bases located in the Panama Canal Zone where he and his family lived for 16 years.

Mr. Wade and his family returned to the States in 1979 and was assigned to the Main Transmission AT&T Office in Jackson, MS, until his retirement in 1983. In 1999 he and Jean moved to Gautier, where he enjoyed the Mary Walker Bayou in his backyard with quick access to the Pascagoula River and the Mississippi Sound.

Lee Earl explored many interests in life; from earning his pilot's license and owning his own plane; to scuba diving and spear fishing in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He joined 8 friends and together they built each of them a 25 ft. fiberglass cuddy cabin fishing boat. He was the Sec. Treasurer of their Slam Bang Hobby Shop. He was the local Boy Scout Master for several years. He was elected to the Georgia State Board of Directors for C.W.A/C.I.O. Union for Telephone employees. He was a member/officer of BPOE Elks Lodge 1542 in Panama for 20 years; and a member of Moose Lodge 1483 in Jackson for 20 years. He was elected Commodore of the Gatun Yacht Club in the Panama Canal Zone for two terms. Through his Margarita, Canal Zone Baptist Church he volunteered along with other church members and built a church building for a remote jungle congregation. He was a major force in renovating a commercial building to serve as our pastor's residence. He enjoyed local culture and travel in Panama and the surrounding countries.

Lee Earl will be remembered for his kind and generous nature and sense of humor.

Mr. Wade is survived by his wife of 70 years, Iva Jean Speed Wade of D' Iberville; 1 Son, Hal Wade (Famie) of Ft. Worth, TX; 2 Daughters, Melanie Shawn Walton (Roger) of Little Elm, TX, and Tracy Leigh Money (Beau) of Jemison, AL; 4 Grandchildren and 5 Great-Grandchildren; 4 Brothers, George Stuart Wade (Eunice) of West Monroe, LA, Roy Rudolph Wade (Kathy) of Collins, Wiley Tom (Josephine), also of Collins, and Sammy Ray (Donna) of Columbus; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

Visitation will be Saturday, September 19, 2020, from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at Wade Funeral Home.