BY OBSERVER STAFF
EDITOR@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) shared that it has lost one of its own. Corrections Deputy Patrick Lamar Yarbrough was involved in an a motor vehicle accident Oct. 10 and passed away, Friday, Nov. 3.
“It was Oct. 10, there was an accident reported to us, a vehicle accident reported to us on US 280 at the intersection of Lee Road 175, this is really right in the middle of what’s considered the Salem community, or downtown Salem if you wanna say,” said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones. “And it was reported to us at about 10 o’clock on the night of the 10th and when units arrived, of course, at the scene, deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered it was a tractor-trailer transport, you know, big tractor trailer and just a regular motor vehicle. And further investigation, they realized that the driver of the motor vehicle was Patrick and he was entrapped in the vehicle, unconscious.
“They were able to free him. They life flighted him to, Piedmont in Columbus, where he had remained since that day until Friday morning, this past Friday morning, when he passed away.”
Jones said that Yarbrough was the type of man that one could always depend on and that he would be missed.
“Patrick, he, of course, was a member of our sheriff’s office family,” Jones said. “He’s been in our corrections division work and in jail operations for 13 years. And was the kind of person that everybody could depend on. He, I know we’re going into cliches here probably, but he would do anything for anybody, he would work with folks, he helped people, he was a true, he was very committed to public service and making sure that the job was done, not just done but done right.
“And [he] was very well thought of and very respected among his co-workers, and co-family members I should say, as a corrections deputy here with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. And he will be missed. And our thoughts, of course, and prayers are with his family at this time and we are just gonna miss him.”
OBITUARY
Patrick Lamar Yarbrough was born July 9, 1972, of the late Rufus and Ivory Daggett Yarbrough, in Lee County, Alabama.
At an early age, he dedicated his life to Christ and united with Bell Missionary Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama.
“Big Pat,” as he was dearly known by family and friends, graduated from Auburn High School. He was employed at Lee County Sheriff’s Office, working as a correction deputy for 13 years. He enjoyed going on family trips, attending family events, having movie nights with family and watching football.
On Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, he departed this life at Piedmont Columbus Regional in Columbus, Georgia.
He was preceded in death by his mother Ivory Gene Yarbrough; father Rufus Yarbrough; brother Nakia Yancey; and sister Yolanda Pruitt.
He leaves to cherish his memories: wife Tabatha Yarbrough of Auburn; five children, Jarquavious Jeff of Columbus, Georgia, Shyheim Yancey, Brooklyn Yarbrough, Patiana Yarbrough, and Jordan Yarbrough all of Auburn; sister Sharon Brown of Auburn; two nieces, Tekela Yarbrough of Lanett, Alabama, and Za’Quarria (Lebryant) Askew of West Point, Georgia; one nephew Jakeevius Stinson of Lanett; one uncle James Yarbrough of Auburn; three beautiful grandchildren, Jaiden and Janylah Pippens of Columbus and Zakai Yarbrough of Auburn; father in-law Billy Yancey Sr. of Auburn; two sisters in-law, Angela Love of Auburn and Arnita Yancey of Smyrna, Georgia; three brothers in-law, Billy Yancey Jr. of Auburn, Dominic Yancey of Opelika and Mark Yancey of Montgomery; a host of many other relatives and friends.
There will be no public viewing. There was a graveside service on Nov. 9.