Emmett Lloyd Lee, Jr

Emmett Lloyd Lee, Jr., 89, died peacefully Tuesday, July 1, at Southwest Christian Care hospice in Union City, GA, after several weeks at Emory University hospital, following complications due to a recent back injury. Born February 16, 1925 in Mt. Willing, AL, Mr. Lee moved to the Atlanta area with his wife, Frances B. Lee in 1954, teaching in Cobb County, before the couple, both educators, settled in Forest Park in 1957. Mr. Lee dedicated more than 45 years of service to Clayton County. In multiple leadership roles - educator, administrator, councilman, philanthropist, civil servant and volunteer - Mr. Lee received numerous honors during his life. Despite his esteemed career, he was known for his humility, fair-mindedness and his inimitable sense of humor. Named Clayton County Democrat of the Year during the late Seventies by Governor George Busby, Mr. Lee also served on former Georgia Governor and U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s Executive Committee for the study of coordination of state and local governmental services. After retiring from education, Mr. Lee was elected Forest Park City Councilman. He was awarded keys to the City of Forest Park by Mayor Matt Simmons, who proclaimed Emmett Lee Day in 1988. He began his career in Clayton County public education teaching history and social studies before becoming principal of Forest Park High School in 1960. He was then appointed County Curriculum Director and promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, a position in which he oversaw curriculum and supervised instructional personnel for the Clayton County School System. Under Superintendent Ernest Stroud, Mr. Lee helped secure the Clayton County School system’s reputation as a leader in education during a time of unprecedented population growth and business development. Throughout the Sixties and Seventies, he oversaw the centralization of state school systems, facilitated special needs education and worked to ensure a peaceful transition during school desegregation. Under his leadership, Clayton County’s award winning music and art programs became vital components of a well-rounded public education, along with consistent growth and development in the humanities, language, math and sciences. “I am proud of the Clayton County School System,” Mr. Lee was quoted in a Clayton News Daily story printed during the Seventies. “I feel it is the best in the state and I am proud to be involved.” After retiring from the school system in 1990 he continued civic service before moving to Decatur in 2003, In 2011, the Retired Teachers Association honored him for his lifetime achievement in education. Mr. Lee graduated from Troy State Teachers College in Troy, Alabama and received advanced degrees in instruction from the Universities of Alabama, Georgia and Emory. During World War II, Mr. Lee served as a sergeant in the U.S. army, in the occupation of Korea. A voracious reader, lifelong scholar and patron of the arts, Mr. Lee’s expertise and knowledge ranged from World and American history to the works of Shakespeare and Walt Whitman, of which he quoted entire passages until a few weeks before his death. His favorite book was Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” He loved films, and among his favorites were “Paths of Glory” “Ship of Fools” and “Beetlejuice.” His eclectic love of music ranged from Debussy, Glenn Miller, John Phillip Sousa, The Beatles, Slim Whitman, Steppenwolf and his beloved rock opera: “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which he requested during his hospital stay. Mr. Lee held leadership roles, including president, chairman and board member of numerous civic organizations. Among them: The American Red Cross, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Kiwanis, the Clayton County Library Board, Counsel on Aging and others. With his wife and small grandchildren, he delivered Meals on Wheels throughout Clayton County during the Nineties. His wife, Sarah Frances Bass Lee, his mother, Sallie Belle Hinson Lee, his father, Emmett Lloyd Lee, Sr. and two brothers, Joseph Allen Lee and Gerald Hinson Lee, preceded him in death. His only child, Georgia Lee; two grandchildren, Miles Lee Perry and Savannah Morgan Lee Perry; a Sister, Mary Lloyd Lee Harris; niece, Ashley Harris and nephew, Charles Bass, survive him. A member of First Baptist Church of Forest Park, he was a faithful servant, contributor and supporter, even during his final years. Among historic and educational memorabilia adorning his Clayton County Schools office, his most beloved was a plaque given to him by a student with the words: “A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.” - anonymous Funeral services for Mr. Lee will be held at First Baptist Church of Forest Park on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at 1 p.m. He will lie in state at noon. Dr. Reed Crumbliss will officiate. Interment to follow at Sherwood Memorial Park. The family will be accepting friends at Scroggs Funeral Home Monday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Flowers are welcomed, or charitable donations to Southwest Christian Care, the Rollins Pavillion at Emory University Hospital, or the charity of choice. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Emmett Lloyd Lee, Jr, please visit our flower store.