Erwin ‘Lee’ Webb, Kentucky Colonel
Erwin "Lee" Webb passed away Thursday, March 22, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. Lee was born May 28, 1933, to Millard and Margaret Webb in Lewes. Upon his parents' separation, he was raised in the Methodist faith by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Webb, also of Lewes.
Lee was a graduate of Lewes High School. He joined the U.S. Air Force and served four years during the Korean War. He married Jeanie Ulmer from Louisville, Ky., in August 1954. They met while he was stationed in Kentucky and dated for three years before their marriage. After working for over a year and expecting their first child, they decided that he should take advantage of the GI bill and attend college. He enrolled at the University of Louisville in September 1956, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in business with a major in accounting in August, 1960. After graduation he accepted a position as a staff accountant in the Louisville office of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co., an international CPA firm. He received his CPA certificate after completing the two-year internship and passing the stringent three-and-a-half-day CPA exam. He also served a short time in PMM & Co.'s Los Angeles, Calif. satellite office in Beverly Hills.
Lee, Jeanie and their children moved back to Louisville in 1975 where he became a partner in a local firm that, through mergers, grew into Potter & Company, a regional accounting firm with five offices in Kentucky and one in Hilton Head, S.C. In 1986 he took early retirement from Potter & Co. and accepted a position as treasurer of Gainesway Management Corporation which was, and still is, a premier thoroughbred breeding operation, and is known as such throughout the industry both in the U.S. and the rest of the world. In assuming his new position, he and Jeanie moved to Lexington, Ky., where they resided for 30 years. He was at Gainesway for 25 years before retiring in 2010 as executive vice president and treasurer.
Lee was a Kentucky Colonel, past president of the Louisville Breakfast Lions Club, former board member and treasurer of Wildwood Country Club, and held that position when the members voted to exercise their option to buy the facility from Raymond Bischoff in the mid 1960s. He has been a member of both the American Institute of CPAs and the Kentucky Society of CPAs for over 50 years.
Lee was predeceased by his mother and father; a brother, Evans; and his grandparents. He is survived by Jeanie, his wife of 63 years; son Mark (Molly); daughters Debbie Hodge (Kenny) and Dee Dee McLeod (Ron), all of whom reside in Louisville; four grandchildren, Adam Webb, Alex Webb, Kenny Lee Hodge and Taylor Hodge. Lee is also survived by one great-grandchild Carter Webb; three sisters-in-law, Mary Lou Ulmer, Linda Ulmer Alford and Margaret Webb; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank his Hosparus team and his devoted caretaker Angie. The deceased requested that his remains be cremated with private services. Expressions of sympathy can be made to the following charities in his honor:
St Jude's Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY, Salvation Army, Louisville, KY, Wayside Christian Mission, Louisville, KY, or WHAS Crusade for Children, Louisville, KY
