Laurie Phillip DeLee was born in Dorchester, SC, on July 18, 1952. He was one of twelve children from the union of the late Virgil Elene and Estelle Youngblood DeLee. Laurie graduated from Jenkins Hill High School in 1970 and attended Wilberforce University in Ohio, where he majored in Business. After graduating from college, he resided in Medina, Ohio, where he taught farmers how to cultivate their land. During one of his co-ops in Syracuse, NY, he met his wife, Sarah Frances Green.

Laurie worked at UPS as a logistics supervisor. Additionally, he and his brothers co-owned Dorchester Dragway, one of the first minority owned Dragway in SC. He was an active member of Surprise Missionary Baptist Church, where he was a deacon and the dean of the Surprise Baptist Sunday School Congress. Laurie had several passions in life. In his free time, you could find him fishing with his brothers, drag racing and attending car shows, or traveling with his family. He was always available to offer help and advice to those in need. He was a loving and caring husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend.

On November 18, 2025, Laurie was called home to be with the Lord. His memories will be cherished by his wife of 48 years, Sarah F. DeLee; daughters Lawanda Graham, (Fayetteville, GA), Andrea (Eric) Jackson (Yorktown, VA), and Mia DeLee (Dorchester, SC); grandchildren, Ameer, Nyah, Elias, Cameron, and Kelissa; siblings, Sandra (Reverend Joseph) Cobin, Sr. (Summerville, SC), Sylvia DeLee, (Goose Creek, SC), Mary (Reverend James) McInnis (Summerville, SC), Tawanda DeLee (Charlotte, NC), Leonard (Carrie) DeLee, Roger (Mary Ellen) DeLee, Lawrence DeLee, Stanley DeLee, Cranston DeLee, Ernest DeLee (all of Dorchester, SC); in-laws Theresa DeLee (Dorchester, SC), Terrlyon Bullard (Flint, MI), Mechele (Curtis) Wilder (Culloden, GA), Eddie Green (Charlotte, NC), and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his siblings, Candice DeLee, Emma Smith, Inez Shavers, Bernice Simmons, Isabelle Blunt Robertson, Napoleon, Horace, Wilson, Joseph, Frank, Adolph, Virgil, Jr., Daniel, Elijah DeLee, Sr., and Johnny Young; in-laws Edward Bullard, Albert Green, and Lynda Johnson.