Meet TeamLee
MEET BRYAN
Bryan was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, and he had a passion for this city to experience Jesus in a life-changing way. His motto was, “Leave people less alone and less hurt,” and he lived this out every day of his life! He loved and served others with all his heart and would lend a helping hand whenever needed. He lived life intentionally by always greeting people with a smile, asking questions about their lives, and trying to make connections with everyone to make them feel special!
Bryan Lee was 45 years old when he went to be home with Jesus on July 27, 2020, after an accident that caused a catastrophic brain injury. His passing has left a huge hole in the hearts of his family, his friends, his church, and his community! Bryan was the Lead Pastor of a city church in midtown and was on a mission to bring the hope and light of Jesus to the heart of Tucson! He led with humility and had a steadfast faith in God, which allowed him to dream big and take risks to reach others for the kingdom.
Bryan was the rock to #TeamLee! He was married to the love of his life, Kimberley, for 21 years and has been an amazing father to his three kids, Lakin, Landen, and Lawson. He loved them absurdly by making the best steaks, pork chops, and homemade popcorn, being their coach, taxi, chef, car mechanic, referee, counselor, and most importantly, being a shining example of how well he loved their mother and served his community!
He wore many hats throughout his life. He loved sports, especially baseball! He loved coaching his son in Palo Verde Little League and at Emily Gray Junior High. He also coached Varsity baseball at Rincon High School in the early 2000s. He always would tell his players, “Pressure is a privilege”! He was the Founder and President of the Refuge Center, a Nonprofit Organization that conducted Bible studies in the food court at the mall, hosted worship nights in public high schools, and mentored teenagers who worked off-hours for community service.
Worship and music were other passions of his. He was the owner of Amplified Productions and Consulting. He used his gifts and talents to serve many ministries and churches, always sharing what he had.
Bryan is now worshipping his creator face-to-face.
Life Verse: “Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
MEET KIMBERLEY
“I met him in 1995 when he sat down next to me at church and he said this, I didn’t even know his name. He said, “Hey, I heard you were looking for a stereo for your new truck, I think I can help with that.” And I was like, “okay.” He was 20, he was 20, and just as cute as can be. I had no idea that the conversation that he started that day would turn into one of the greatest love stories of my life. Two opposite people (Bryan and I couldn’t have been more opposite people) that God brought together, to be Team Lee, for His glory.
Bryan Lee loved me absurdly. That’s the word I need you to hear. Bryan Lee loved me absurdly. He should have run for the hills when I came around (and if you knew me in college, you are just in agreement right there), but his consistency for the last 25 years has helped me be the person who’s standing before you today. A wife with no regrets. I never went to bed not one single night, not knowing that Bryan loved me, not one single night. And my biggest honor, besides being called a child of God, is being Bryan Lee’s wife.
Bryan Lee loved our kids absurdly. When we had children, we became “Team Lee.” When we had our daughter, I had some health issues, and he had to take care of both Lakin and I, and he never even babysat before. I couldn’t believe, I had a broken arm and I couldn’t change any diapers. He had to take care of both of us and he never ever complained. He got up for… I need you, new parents, especially to hear this… every, single, feeding, for ALL three kids. And when I said, “ “Why Bryan?” He said, “What wouldn’t I? There’re my kids too. This is not yours alone to bear.”
Bryan Lee loved this city absurdly. His model from early on was, “Let’s leave people less alone and less hurt.” His passion was coming up with creative ways to do that. If you’ve known Bryan Lee and were a part of that, he was creative. And he would do anything to draw people to Jesus. He was a dreamer and nothing was too big for his God. His faith was that deep. Even when I constantly said, “No Babe, we can’t do that.” He was like, “Oh yes, we can. We can!”
Jesus didn’t come so we can live an “okay” life. He didn’t come so we can just get through it. He didn’t come so we can just go through the motions. Jesus came, so we can have eternal life! That’s our hope! So that we can be free, we can be fruitful, and we can live abundantly, and absurdly. We can all love absurdly. People think this was for Bryan Lee, and I’m here to challenge you and say it’s not just for Bryan Lee, it’s for all of us to love absurdly because the cross is absurd love! The cross is absurd love.
MEET LAKIN
“Hi guys. So, this is kind of hard to do, and I didn’t know what to say, and so this morning, I was praying and I was worshipping, and I was like, “God, what do you want me to share about this man that changed my life?”
He was my biggest cheerleader and my number-one fan. And this bracelet was his, and he wore it every day that I started going to the U of A. And he prayed over me every day, and I told him to take it off because I thought it was ugly. And he said, “No, because every time I look at it, I pray for you.” So, with that said, he would come to work, my work or school, just to come to see me, or take me to lunch in between my classes. He was intentional. He was intentional with each and every one of us in our own way. He pushed some of his dreams aside so that I could live mine. He made sacrifices so that I could pursue my dreams. He taught me how to worship, how to love people with no reservations, and how to serve others, even when you don’t feel like it.
The hole he left is big, but the calling is greater. His life demands a response, from me, and from you. My question is: how are we going to live our lives differently? I know that I’m going to love boldly, champion people through life, and leave Jesus wherever I go.
His death, while devastating, is a launching point for who I’m supposed to be in Jesus. He’s going to be cheering me all the way through. And the… the last thing I’m going to end with is something that he wrote on the back of a gift he gave me for my 16th birthday, it said:
“Love first, love deep, love always, Dad.”
Lakin works as a speech and language pathologist assistant at a public school. She is entering graduate school in the Fall. She has her dad’s heart of compassion and LOVES BIG!
Life Verse:“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 1 Timothy 1:7
MEET LANDEN
“I’m just going to start with, I was reluctant to speak today, because what do you say? How do you describe the situation we’re in, the situation our world is in? How do you describe the person I got to call “Dad”? How are you so proud of someone with such a great legacy, but be so sad that he’s no longer with us? How do I share one story, when he was intentionally a part of every single day of my life: from teaching me how to play baseball, to yelling at me while I’m backing up the trail, or showing me a great example of how to serve people?
I know two things my dad did well was to love God and love others. I think you guys are witnesses of that and examples of that. And I’m going to follow that lead. I’m going to love God with all my heart, and love people with all my heart. And I’m going to hope to make as big of an impact as he did. And I know the reason this shirt says “Jesus Won” is because my dad lived like that. Notice it says “won”, it’s already done! I’m going to live like that, and I’m going to challenge you to figure out what that means to you.
Thank you, guys, for coming.”
Landen is a senior in the College of Engineering, specializing in Mechanical Engineering.
He has his dad’s authority and leadership and a heart for worship.
Life Verse: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
MEET LAWSON
“I just want to say, I’m thankful. I’m SO thankful that I got my dad. I’m sure there are plenty of dads out there that are amazing, but my dad was pretty good.
I love the love that he gave me and my family. It’s just so unfathomable… I just… I am thankful because I wouldn’t be as handsome without him. But the love he had just for his children and his wife, wasn’t just for us. It was for everyone in this room and more. Maybe in the tiniest way or much more profound ways, my dad served. He would wake up every morning and say, “Who can I serve today”. He had a servant’s heart and that kind of heart changed my heart from one of retribution and revenge to forgiveness and grace. There are multitudes of things I love about my dad, for instance, his steaks! Oh my gosh! Or his popcorn that my mom would ask for every night we sat at the T.V. Besides his cooking, he had a passion – music. Music and praise. It was one of the things that we could talk about, a thing that he loved and I loved, and we shared it. It’s how he praised God and it’s how I made him happy, just by playing my drums.
One instance I’d like to share with you is the final conversation I had with my dad. It was the morning of the day that my dad left this earth. We were all eating hotdogs at our kitchen table, and I decided to bring up how badly I wanted a gaming computer. Well, my mom instantly shut me down, and my dad said, “mmm, mmm, mmm.” And I got really frustrated, so I left the table. From out of nowhere, my dad told me, “Son, sit down”. I sat down, and what he told me changed my outlook on life forever. He told me, “Son, you’re going to need to learn that you can’t get everything in your life instantly. You have to work for something you want. Son, instant gratification gets you nowhere, but patience always wins.” A couple of hours later, he fell and the world lost a great man, but heaven gained a warrior. And of course, the last words he said to me, were the greatest ones.
What I want to let everyone know is, my dad is free! No more diabetes, no more back pain, no more strokes, no more gallbladder issues, no more work, no more pain. My dad is free and dancing with Jesus as I speak! These words will resonate forever: legends never die, they stay a part of you, and Jesus has won!”
Lawson is a sophomore in Bio-Chemistry with aspirations to be a dentist.
He has the mantle of his dad’s mercy and lack of judgment of others.
Life Verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30