Death of Smithfield town councilman, high school coach hitting family and community hard

SMITHFIELD, N.C. (WTVD) -- Family, friends and the Smithfield community are remembering town councilman Marlon Lee, who died over the weekend.

As the news of Lee's death from a heart attack on Sunday circulated the last 24 hours, tributes have poured out from every corner of the Triangle. On Monday night, family and friends said that's a testament to the impact he had on the communities he touched, and the work he made his life's purpose.

Lee was 51 years old.

"He was my pride and joy. And he meant everything in the world to me," said Marlon's father, Alonza Lee.

Marlon's parents were two of several dozen family members and friends who gathered outside his childhood home in a show of solidarity Monday evening. Born and raised in East Smithfield, Lee's parents said Marlon's decision to advocate for the neighborhood he was raised in, as a longtime Town Councilman for District 1, is proof of that purpose.

"He'd never forget where he came from. No matter how high he went, he'd never forget where he came from. He'd never forget his upbringing," his mother, Betty Lee, said.

Remembrances took over Marlon's Facebook page on Monday, with dozens of people commenting and sharing messages. The Town of Smithfield lowered all flags to half staff in his honor. It's the sort of outpouring that Marlon's kids say is befitting their father's legacy.

"It just makes me proud to be his son. Seeing from the government officials, to the school, to coworkers, to people who he went to school with. It just shows me the impact he had on everyone he touched," said Spencer Blackwell, Marlon's son.

For Marlon's daughter, Y'Zana, he was more than a father - he was her coach at Clayton High School, where he led both the girls basketball and volleyball programs.

"I'm gonna still see him as my coach. I'm gonna play hard, play smart, play together like he always told me," the 17-year old Y'Zana said.

William Powell grew up down the street from Marlon, where they became lifelong friends. Fraternity brothers in Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc., Powell said Marlon embodied service.

"He was a selfless kind of guy, he gave anything and everything to his community," he said.