Willie Lee Fletcher

Willie Lee Fletcher was born in Sidon, Mississippi on November 11th, 1953 to James Henry (J.H.) Fletcher and Armanda (Hall) Fletcher. As a young child, he was very close to his brothers and sister. He was always excited to go on adventures with his siblings and uncles. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1963 at Shiloh Baptist Church. One of his biggest adventures was traveling to Caruthersville, Missouri with his Uncle Henry Hall and his big brother; his mother, siblings, aunt, and cousins soon followed him. He attended McCarthy R-III Elementary School in Caruthersville, Missouri from 1961 to 1966.

His next big adventure was traveling across the country from Caruthersville, Missouri to Bakersfield, California with his mother, brothers, sister, aunt, and cousins in a 1959 Buick. From 1966 to 1967, Willie completed his elementary studies at Potomac School. Growing up, Willie was sociable and very clever. He was a fast talker and could always think his way out of a problem. One example of Willie’s cleverness involved his chores. As a child, Willie and his siblings had to make their bed every morning. Willie decided it was too much work to do this chore everyday. Instead of making his bed, Willie decided to sleep on top of his bed with a quilt. In the morning, all Willie had to do was fold the quilt as his bed was already made!

Willie attended Lincoln Junior High School from 1967 to 1969 where he took classes in woodworking and metal working. He graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1973. While he attended Bakersfield High, he was a part of a work study program where he worked on cars through AMCO Transmission and Total Car Care.

After high school, Willie decided to follow in the footsteps of his big brothers and serve in the United States Military. From 1973 to 1977, Willie served in the United States Army as a Unit Supply Specialist (also known as an Army Supply Clerk). Willie was responsible for managing the receipt, storage, accountability, and issuance of all individual, organizational, and installation supplies and equipment, including weapons and ammunition. Willie traveled to Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1977.

After his military service, Willie moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Willie was very close to his family and never missed a family reunion. In fact, he stayed with his Uncle Ranal Hall and his Aunt Libby until he could get his own place. Willie enjoyed helping people; he used to deliver cars to celebrities. To this day, he is remembered in Bakersfield for showing up and driving people around in a Rolls Royce. He worked at Charlie’s Motors from 1977 to 1986 where he detailed cars. In 1986, he started working at Suntrup Automotive Group until his retirement in 2022. Willie loved to stay busy and was an entrepreneur. Even though he officially retired in 2022, he continued to work part-time at Suntrup until his death. He also had a janitorial service on the side. He loved sports and politics and discussed both with his family and friends.

One of the greatest joys of Willie’s life was his commitment to his Narcotics Anonymous (NA) family. He was a member of the NA We Care Group which serves the St. Charles area. Willie started NA in the early 1980s and remained committed until his death. No matter where he was in the world, Willie never missed a meeting. He followed the tenets of NA every day, where he chose serenity and freedom for today; recovery; strength over weakness; hope over despair; love over fear; growing stronger and more resilient each day. He helped over hundreds of people, as a sponsor and as a friend, navigate their own struggles with substance abuse.

Willie is preceded in death by his mother, Armanda Fletcher; his father, James Henry (J.H.) Fletcher; and his brother, Albert (Wesley) Lee Fletcher. He is survived by his daughter Myyrrah Naunheim (Theodore); his grandchildren Jack and Max; his brothers Willie James Erving (Ann) and James Edward Fletcher (Velma); his sister Lucy Mae Fletcher; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Special thank you to:

• Baue Funeral Home
• The Wilcox Family
• Suntrup Automotive Group
• Narcotics Anonymous, We Care Group, St Charles Area