History & Staff

We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

Our History

Lee-Sykes Funeral Home, originally Sykes Funeral Home, was established in the 1930's by Maude and James Sykes. The business was one of the first black-owned businesses in the city of Columbus and one of the oldest in the state of Mississippi. The funeral home was prosperous and served the community well. With the death of Tillie in 1985 came a new era at Sykes Funeral Home. Control of the business passed to Tillie's young son, Michael.

The business remained in the Sykes family until February of 1992 when Thomas L. Lee, Sr. and Gwendolyn K. Lee purchased the business. This purchase allowed Lee, a lifelong resident of Columbus, to pursue his dream of becoming a business owner. At that time, the name of the business was changed to Lee-Sykes Funeral Home. Mr. and Mrs. Lee then began the process of a surface renovation of the facility. Additional funeral service vehicles were also added to the funeral home's fleet.

In 1994, a detailed renovation was completed with the addition of a 200 seat chapel, office expansion and accessibility ramping. The latest facility addition is the new showroom. This showroom provides our families with more selections. The showroom features quarter length caskets, making the selection process more comfortable for our families.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee expanded the business in 1996 with the purchase of Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon, MS. To ensure continuity and name recognition, this facility was renamed Lee-Sykes Funeral Home. Cockrell Funeral Home, located at 107 East Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Macon, had been a cornerstone in the Macon area for more than 60 years. This facility has been completely renovated to better serve the needs of our clients.

Lee-Sykes Funeral Home continues to be a family owned business. Four of the Lee children assist in the day-to-day operations of both Columbus and Macon Locations.


Our Valued Staff

Thomas L. Lee Sr.

Thomas L. Lee Sr., Owner


Matthew Lee

Matthew Lee


Daphne Avery

Daphne Avery


LaVelle Patterson Rice

LaVelle Patterson Rice


Claude Long

Claude Long


Anisha Nash

Anisha Nash


Carl Mickens

Carl Mickens


Rotrik Morris

Rotrik Morris


Robert McCarter

Robert McCarter


Shirley Rush

Shirley Rush


Walter Farmer Jr.

Walter Farmer Jr.


Jeffrey Barry

Jeffrey Barry


Leonard Williams Jr.

Leonard Williams Jr.


Lawrence White

Lawrence White


Brittney Brown

Brittney Brown


Melodie Cunningham

Melodie Cunningham