Lee Bennett Hazlewood

Lee Bennett Hazlewood,64, passed away Sunday, February 15, 2026, at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Grenada, Mississippi. Lee was born on December 28, 1961, in Savannah, Tennessee, to James W. “Jim” and Betty Bennett Hazlewood.

A graduate of Winona Academy, Lee excelled in all sports. He continued his athletic career as a member of the Ole Miss Men’s Track Team. Lee was also a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, as well as Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honorary Organization. He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science in 1984 followed by a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1988 from the University of Mississippi.

Lee practiced law beginning in 1988 as a clerk to U.S. Magistrate J. David Orlansky of the Northern District of MS. From 1990 to 2015, he was associated with the law firms: Henderson, Dantone, Hines of Greenville, MS, Liston and Lancaster of Winona, MS, and Hugh Gibson Law Office of Eupora, MS.

Lee began his coaching career in 1997, coaching and mentoring young people across Mississippi and Alabama. For three decades, he shaped the lives of athletes and students as he coached basketball and track and taught history. Lee served students at Cruger Tchula Academy, Deer Creek Academy, Bayou Academy, Greenville St. Joe High School, Pickens Academy (AL), Winona Christian School, Oak Hill Academy and Calhoun Academy.

Throughout his coaching career, Coach Hazlewood led his teams in the following accomplishments: 2000 Girls Basketball State AA Runner-up – Cruger Tchula Academy, 2001 Girls Basketball State AA Championship – Cruger Tchula Academy, 1999, 2000, and 2001 Girls Track State AA Championships – Cruger Tchula Academy, 2020 Girls Basketball State 1A Runner-up – Pickens Academy (AL).

Coach Hazlewood was awarded the Varsity Girls Track District Coach of the Year in 1999, 2000, and 2001. He was also awarded the State Girls Track Coach of the Year in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001, and the State Basketball Coach of the Year in 2000. He was recently awarded the MAIS 2025-2026 Class 1A District Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

Lee was an avid fan of Ole Miss Sports, attending many events with his wife, Dee. He was a lifetime member of the Grove Collective Organization. He also spent countless hours searching Mississippi landscape for arrowheads and other Indian artifacts. Lee’s other hobbies included ham radio operations entailing building his own radio system and tower. He was a member of the Magnolia Amateur Club and had recently earned his Distant Contact Century Club membership for contacting over 100 distinct geographical countries.

Lee is survived by his wife, Deandra Jones Hazlewood; daughter, Mary Alice McArthur (Greer); stepdaughter, Brooke Pittman; stepson, Reed Pittman; and a grandson to arrive in June. Lee is also survived by his sister, Beth Adams; nieces, Sarah Smith and Kate Bunce; and great niece Meredith Smith. Lee was preceded in death by his parents, James and Betty Hazlewood.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 20, 2026, in the Oliver Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Hal Clark officiating. Pallbearers will be William Liston III, John “Hud” Billingsley, Phillip Smith, Reed Pittman, Frank Miller, Ken Paine, Greer McArthur, Brian Jones, and Terry Blakely. Honorary pallbearers will be the many athletes that Lee coached throughout his career.

Visitation will be Thursday, February 19, 2026, from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Oliver Funeral Home, and Friday, February 20, 2026, from 9:00 AM until service time at Oliver Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Winona Christian School Athletics, 1014 S Applegate Street, Winona, MS 38967; Calhoun Academy Basketball Program and/or Track Program, PO Drawer C, Calhoun City, MS 38916; Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 8th Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001, or online at https://alzfdn.org/donate/; or to the Thomas Hayes Mayo Lab, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655, or online at https://umfoundation.givingfuel.com/give.