Lee Carter Stimes, 81, who resided for many years in Rapid City and Mobridge, SD, passed away May 5, 2018, in Beresford, SD.

He was born March 3, 1937 in Oshkosh, WI, the son of Orville Lawrence Stimes and Elizabeth (Hohnberger) Stimes. He lived with his parents in Oshkosh and Ripon, WI until they moved to Sheboygan Falls, WI in 1943.  There he attended the public school and was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  He graduated from high school in 1955 and entered the U.S. Air Force where he served in Texas, Alaska and South Dakota as an engine mechanic on heavy bombers.

He married Janice Zimmerman in 1957 in Rapid City, where they had five children and lived until 1970. Following his release from active duty in 1959, he remained active in the Air Force Reserve until 1965 and worked full time in department store sales, service station tune-up and repair, and spent nine years as a newspaper advertising salesman.

In 1970 Lee moved to Mobridge and was employed in petroleum products sales and service and automotive tune-up and repair until 1975. Lee married Betty Lou Weber in 1972 and they made their home in Mobridge until 2009.  He was employed in LP gas sales and service from 1975 until 1981. He continued his career working other jobs including office manager of Mobridge Gas.  They moved to Rapid City (Hisega) in 2010 and lived his dream of having a home in the Black Hills.

Lee enjoyed hunting in his younger years and was an avid fisherman much of his life. He never had the heart to turn away a stray animal without giving them a good meal and often a good home. He even rescued his favorite pet of all, a three-legged shepherd mix he named "Lady."

He is survived by his wife, Betty Stimes of almost 46 years; daughters, Debra Frarey, Victor, NY, and Linda (Mike) Spires, Newton, NJ; sons, Larry (Phyllis) Stimes, Johnson City, TN, and David (Amy) Stimes, Beresford, SD; sisters, Carol Gahagan, Casa Grande, AZ, and Joan Hetzel, West Bend, WI; nine grandchildren, Craig (Shannon) and Amy Hockenberry, Brandon Stimes, Zachary Ferrier, and Rachael, Rebecca, Emily, Eliana and Adam Stimes.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Rachel in 1940; and son, Dale in 1995.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to your local humane society.

Graveside services will be held Monday, May 14, 2018 at 1:00 pm at the Black Hills National Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted by the Sturgis Volunteer Honor Guard and the Ellsworth AFB Honor Guard.