Roll of Honor
Lee Roy Happel
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Lee Happel was killed in a single vehicle crash on River Road in Ashland City while responding to a vehicle fire.
His patrol car left the roadway and down a steep embankment, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.
Deputy Happel was a U.S. Army veteran and had only served with Cheatham County Sheriff's Office for seven months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, parents, brother, and four sisters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-7F4A294B- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Lee is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Happel served with the Cheatham County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Ashland City community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Lee Roy Happel served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Deputy Sheriff Lee Roy Happel is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In TN, 191 of 769 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.8% of this state's fallen. That is 24.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Cheatham County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lee Roy Happel's cause is highlighted.
How Lee Roy Happel Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Lee Roy Happel is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Military Service
Lee Roy Happel served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit Lee Roy Happel’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Cheatham County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
