His parents were Nell Devine Duffee and Cecil Gravlee Duffee, Sr. He attended Lake View Grammar School for two years then moved to Dadeville, Alabama where he attended public schools there until 11th grade. He graduated from The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1942 where he excelled in football. He entered the University of Alabama for his freshman year in the summer of that same year but joined the Navy in December 1942. He was sent to the Officer’s Training Program at Howard College (now Samford University) for 1 year, then to the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland for 3 years. While there, he played football for the Navy. He received a medical discharge due to a leg injury. He returned to the University of Alabama and graduated in 1947. While at the University of Alabama, he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, the Jasons Society, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society.
In 1949, he married his love, Mary Francis Montgomery (“Sis”) from Opelika, Alabama. Together they began a life of service to God, church, community, and family. They enjoyed over 50 years of marriage, raising 5 children, and many adventures. Together they built and began the Church of the Living Waters in Still Waters, which remained close and dear to his heart. After Sis passed in 1999, Cecil married Martha Graves in 2003. They enjoyed traveling, fun with friends and family, yard work, and nature.
After college, Cecil joined his father at Dadeville Lumber Company, a lumber production company at that time. He worked there for 40 years, where he helped develop a retail building materials department, which was one of the first “One Stop Home Centers” in Alabama, a construction department that built single-family homes, apartments, and subdivisions throughout his area. His largest endeavor began in 1969, which was the development of Still Waters, a 2,000-acre resort on Lake Martin. He served as president of the Dadeville Lumber Company for 27 years. In 1988, he and Sis moved to Sarasota, Florida where he was an associate at Key Royal Oldsmobile. From there, in 1998, he moved to Carrollton, Georgia where he became a District Sales Manager for AFLAC.
Cecil and Sis were active members of the First United Methodist Church of Dadeville where he served as a Sunday School teacher, a trustee, a member of the Finance Committee, and on the Official Board. When they moved to Sarasota, they joined the First Baptist Church where he served as Head Usher for several years. After moving to Carrollton, they joined the First United Methodist Church of Carrollton. He served in several positions including Chairman of the Board of Trustees and was an active member of the “Young Men’s” Sunday School class. Cecil had a strong faith in the Lord and lived it every day.
Cecil’s civic activities include Boy Scout Leader, chairman of the Tukabatchee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. He served on several Board of Directors including the Bank of Dadeville, the Lyman Ward Military Academy, The Alabama State Chamber of Commerce, The Consulting Committee for the School of Forestry at Auburn University, The Alabama Forestry Association, the Board of Directors of the University of Alabama Alumni Association where he served as president of the National Alumni Association in the 1984-85 season.
Cecil enjoyed active membership in Kiwanis for over 70 years in all locations he lived in: Dadeville, Sarasota, and Carrollton. He served as president of the Dadeville and Carrollton clubs. He was also awarded the Hixon Award in the Carrollton Club, as well as the Sarasota Club.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Montgomery Duffee; second wife, Martha Buzbee Graves Duffee; sons Cecil Duffee, III, Joe Duffee, and Dawson Graves; and his sister and brother-in-law, Lillian & Charles Adair.
He is survived by his sons and daughter-in-law; Steve and Julie Duffee of Birmingham, Alabama, and Robbie Duffee of Carrollton, Georgia; daughter and son-in-law, Linnie & Kirk Dortch of Carrollton, Georgia; daughter-in-law, Barbara Duffee of Birmingham; grandchildren, Mimi Peterson (Bobby), Virginia Fife (Will), Elaine Lewellyn (Ben), Anne Coates (Cameron), Duffee Dortch, Katie Dortch; 7 great-grandchildren; Patrick & Stephanie Graves, Lauren Graves, John Patrick & Mona Graves, Courtney Graves, and Katie Ann Graves.
His love of life, family, friends, golf, football (ROLL TIDE!), and his gregarious, playful nature will be missed by us all. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 4, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. (EST) at Carrollton First United Methodist Church, with the Golden K Club of Carrollton serving as honorary pallbearers. A reception and time for fellowship will follow in the Church Fellowship Hall. On Saturday, November 5, 2022, there will be a service at the Church of the Living Waters, beginning at 11:00 a.m. (CST)
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carrollton First United Methodist Church, 206 Newnan St, Carrollton, GA 30117, www.cfumc.com/give, or Church of the Living Waters at StillWaters, 782 Lakeview Ridge Cir, Dadeville, AL 36853, www.colw-sw.com.
Messages of condolences can be sent to the family at www.martin-hightower.com. Martin and Hightower Heritage Chapel has charge of the arrangements.