Harold Lee Poynter, Jr.

Harold Lee Poynter, 99, a wonderful and loving husband and father, and a longtime resident of Maryville, Missouri, died on Saturday, August 17, 2019, at Parkdale Manor, Maryville, MO

Harold Lee Jr. was born on June 20th, 1920, in Cameron, Missouri, to Harold Lee (Senior) and Dorothy Virginia Wright Poynter. He graduated from Cameron High School in 1938, and William Jewel College in 1942. Harold served as a civilian and enlisted instructor (Captain) in the Army Air Corp, serving his country following graduation from William Jewel, and at the end of World War II, he began school at Northern Illinois College of Optometry where he graduated in 1948

He is survived by his eldest son H.L. Poynter, III and wife Marty and their daughters Beth Klassen, Cathy (Greg) Brown and Cristen (Jeff) Brenner, his middle son Paul Richard Poynter and wife Amabel and their daughters Shanna (Jeff) Derring and Shelley (Mark) Simoes, and his youngest son Phillip Mark Poynter and wife Deena and sons Jeremy (Wendy) Poynter, Jonathan (Pheonna) Poynter, Adam (Corinne) Knorr and daughter Charisse Craine. Collectively there are 9 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and 6 great great grand-children.

He was preceded in death by his wife Irma Lee (Dunn) Poynter, parents Harold Lee and Dorothy Virginia Wright Poynter.

During his Cameron school years, he and Irma Lee were sweethearts from 4th grade. Harold Lee Jr. served his senior year class president and as president of his fraternity at William Jewell College. Harold Lee Jr. and Irma Lee were married on January 26th, 1944, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Following graduation from Northern Illinois College of Optometry, Harold Lee Jr., Irma Lee, and son H.L. III moved from Chicago, Illinois, to begin an Optometric Practice and family life in Maryville, Missouri.

Harold Lee Jr. was a member of the Maryville Junior Chamber of Commerce, the American Optometric Association, the Missouri Optometric Association (president 1957-58), the Missouri Optometry Board from 1971-1975 (president 1972), the Northwest Missouri State College Board of Regents in 1981 to 1985, a charter member of the Maryville Lions Club (president), a member of the First Christian Church since 1948 (board president and building campaign chairman). He was an Eagle Scout, an Assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster of Troop 75 and was a Sachem in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. He received the OTOE District Award of Merit and Silver Beaver Award from the Pony Express Council.

The funeral service will be at 10:30 AM, on Wednesday, August 21, 2019, at the First Christian Church, Maryville, Missouri. The family will receive friends at the church on Wednesday from 9:00 AM until service time.

Graveside services will be at the Nodaway Memorial Gardens, north of Maryville, Missouri, following the funeral service.

Services are under the direction of the Bram-Danfelt Funeral Home, Maryville, MO.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the First Christian Church of Maryville, or the Boy Scouts of America, Pony Express Council, or the Maryville Host Lions Club.