John Lewis Lee, III

John Lewis Lee III, 80, of St. Augustine, FL, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

John was born on April 6, 1945, in St. Petersburg, FL to John Lewis Lee and Myrtle M. (Holt) Lee. He attended Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, FL, graduating with the Class of 1963. John lettered in swimming and track and was an accomplished clarinetist in marching and concert bands. John was also active in his church, where he was elected the youngest Deacon, and held offices in the Order of DeMolay. He furthered his education at St. Petersburg Junior College and in 1975 received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, TX.

John enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1966. He ascended the ranks rapidly holding several positions of significant responsibility with Air Force Security and the Air Force Military Personnel Center, including the repatriation of the Vietnam POWs in the Florida area during Operation Homecoming. In 1975, John was one of only seventy-five enlisted candidates selected for Officer Training School and was commissioned by his wife, then Captain Karen Lee, on October 16, 1975. John’s military assignments were varied including tours of duty as an Advisor to the Canadian Forces at Bagotville AFB, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada; Executive Officer to the Deputy Director of Defense Logistics Agency, Alexandria, VA; Commander of a Secretary of the Air Force Special Operation Unit at Bolling AFB, VA; and Director of Personnel for the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH. He retired as a Major in 1989 after 23 years of service. His military service awards and decorations include two Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medals, five Air Force Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and other service awards and he was awarded the U.S. Air Force Missile Officer Badge.

John was active in the Boy Scouts of America earning the rank of Eagle Scout and later served as a Boy Scout Leader for several years. He and his wife were active in spiritual development programs at the parish and diocesan levels for many years, serving as diocesan leaders of a young adult group and in several parish ministries and on diocesan committees. John was an avid sportsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting and a variety of water sports. In his retirement years, he traced his family lineage in England and published an account of the Lee family migration from colonial Viriginia to Florida and the Holt family who received Spanish land grants in central Florida. John and his wife traveled throughout the world including in many countries in Europe, South and Central America, as well as to Australia and the South Pacific, China, the Baltics, and Russia. They also enjoyed adventures on the Amazon River and on safari in Africa.

John married the former Karen L. Roman, originally from Iron River, MI, on January 26, 1974, at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Iron River. Karen was also a career Air Force Officer. Following their military retirements, they returned to their home in Hawaii. John held several corporate level positions in Human Resources before entering the medical administration field. He was employed as the Director of Workers’ Compensation for St. Francis Medical Center – West in Ewa Beach, HI from which he retired in July 2001. In 2015, they moved to St. Augustine, FL. He and Karen maintained close ties to the Iron River area, spending summers at a residence on Stanley Lake.

He is survived by his wife, Karen, and son, Christopher T. (Simona) Lee.

He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, Robert Holt Lee.

Services to be announced at a later date.