Willie Lee McAfee Jr.'s Obituary
Willie Lee McAfee Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend passed away on August 30th, 2024, at the age of 75. He was born on August 26th, 1949, in Tulsa, Oklahoma to parents Willie Lee McAfee Sr. and Irma Jean Matthews (Hollis). Willie grew up in a close-knit family and was the only child. He attended Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He was later drafted to the army but joined the Air Force instead. Willie worked in various honorable positions at Tulsa Public Schools where he later retired.
Willie met the love of his life, Corliss, on February 15th, 1969. Funny story, Corliss was reluctant to go on a blind date with Willie. She thought that he would be the second “ugly guy” that her sister tried to set her up with, but she was spot on this time. Corliss obviously went on the date and the rest is history. Four months later, on June 27th, they were married. Corliss and Willie were a perfect match. Anyone who met these two knew you would never meet a more perfect pair. Corliss loved her some Willie, or should we say “Toe” and Willie loved him some Corliss or should we say “Honey”.
The happy couple bought a house and laid their roots in Tulsa, OK. They had three beautiful children, Tiffany McAfee, Steven McAfee (Kristie), and Courtney McAfee (Tameka). Willie also had five grandchildren, Nicolette, Steven Jr., Aysiah, Courtland and Maliya, and two great grandchildren, Ace and Isabella. Willie adored his family and wife of 55 years together. He enjoyed family gatherings, dinners, trips to the mall, vacations and being a part of their life’s greatest wins and accomplishments.
Willie had many friends and a few he even called his best friends. He loved to laugh and joke around with them while playing dominoes and “trash talking” the entire time and calling each other “George”. He also enjoyed daily walks in the park, fishing and basketball. Those young guys were always surprised when they got schooled by some “old guys”.
One of Willie’s proudest accomplishments was learning about Jehovah and getting baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on February 23rd, 1974. Willie was a faithful servant of Jehovah for 50 years. He loved to share his faith and the knowledge he acquired from the Bible with friends, co-workers, family and neighbors. Willie knew that all could benefit from becoming Jehovah’s friend and learning about HIS promises for the future. He also volunteered as an auxiliary pioneer many times and had the privilege of serving as a ministerial servant.
Anyone who knew Willie knew how great of a man he was. Kind, loving, compassionate, loyal, funny, and genuine are just a few of Willie’s qualities that we all came to admire and love. His presence illuminated every room he entered, and his warm smile brought comfort to all who knew him. He never met a stranger and loved to talk as much as he loved to eat. He loved a good meal and had a special place in his heart for Corliss’ German chocolate cake. Willie took pleasure in the simple things in life, like watching an OU or Thunder game with friends or listening to music with his wife. He was a dear friend, husband, father and grandfather. He will be remembered and missed greatly until we meet again. (Job 14:13-15; Acts 24:15)
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