More detail on this person: Lee Cearnal,
devoted father and grandfather, Vietnam veteran,
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and all-around
force of nature, died at his home in Houston
Tuesday. He was 68.
Lee, who always seemed younger than his actual
years, leaves a rich legacy despite being taken
too early: journalists around the country who
learned under his tutelage, education reform in
Mississippi prompted by hard-hitting stories under
his direction; friends kept from getting too
comfortable in their opinions thanks to his
impassioned, contrarian arguments.
Lee's team of reporters at the Jackson
Clarion-Ledger won the Pulitzer, journalism's
loftiest achievement, for a series of 30 reports
on problems in the state's public education
system. The series, which won the 1983 Pulitzer
for Public Service, concluded as state legislators
convened in a special session that resulted in
such reforms as mandatory kindergarten, a stronger
attendance law and new taxes.
The Clarion-Ledger was one of a number of
newspapers in Lee's journalistic career, which
began as a reporter at the Pensacola (Fla.)
Journal and ended at the Houston Chronicle, where
he was the projects editor. In between he worked
at the Lakeland (Fla.) Journal, the Washington
headquarters of USA Today and the Monroe (La.)
News-Star, where he was executive editor.
Lee, a Marine captain, flew helicopters in Vietnam
in the late 1960s, averting death on a couple of
occasions. Once, after landing, his crew found a
50-caliber slug embedded in the vehicle's rotor
shaft, potentially catastrophic damage. Another
time, his last flight, he survived landing on top
of a tree after part of his helicopter exploded.
Still, none of Lee's career experiences fully
capture his fun and colorful nature. He loved
rhythm 'n' blues, Scotch, superhero comic books,
the South, any excuse to have a party, history,
spirited political debates, blondes, the printed
page, going out for drinks, guitar solos,
football, Cajun food and the novels of Nabokov.
But most of all he loved his daughter Gretchen and
granddaughters Ellie and Grace, on whom he could
dote with the best of any grandparent.
Lee is remembered for his passion for the truth,
his unswerving loyalty to the people and things he
loved and the soft heart all too visible beneath
his sometimes curmudgeonly exterior.
Lee is survived by Gretchen Botha her husband
Mario Botha and their children, Ellie, 4, and
Grace, 2, all of Pearland; and sisters Sue and
Betty. He was preceded in death by a son, Ben,
and former wife, Sidney Ellis Smith.
Lee will be cremated, but celebrations of his
life, in the style party in which he specialized,
are being planned in Houston and Jackson.
In lieu of flowers, an education savings account
has been established at Regions Bank for Lee's
grandchildren. Donations can be made to the Lee
Cearnal Memorial Education Fund for Ellie and
Grace Botha c/o Liz Cleveland, 3965 Council
Circle, Jackson, MS, 39206.
Published in Houston Chronicle on January 20,
2013
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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