Major Roy Edward Lee, Jr., 84, of Greensboro, Alabama passed away on March 16, 2026. Born on August 15, 1941, in Talladega and raised in Tuscaloosa, he was a graduate of Tuscaloosa High School, the University of Alabama, and the Naval Flight Officer School, where he earned his Naval Wings of Gold. Immediately after college, Major Lee married his high school sweetheart, Charlotte Cayley; they met when she was only 15 and spent the rest of their lives together.
During his military career, Major Lee served with the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines near Da Nang, Viet Nam, earning the combat action ribbon, and with VMFA-122 in Chu Lai, earning the air medal. He served in numerous F-4 squadrons before retiring after 20 years of honorable service. Following retirement, he earned a graduate degree in education and taught history, government, economics, and social studies at Akron High School, where he also served as an assistant coach for the Akron Football Rams.
Major Lee was preceded in death by his parents, Roy Edward Lee, Sr. and Esther Jane McKenzie Lee, and his sister, Carolyn Lee Morris. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Charlotte Cayley Lee, and his children: Roy Edward Lee III, Gary Patrick Lee, Rebekah Lee Poe (Vaughn), Melissa Jane Lee (Paula), and Thomas Bailey Davis Lee (Leanah). He also leaves behind seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A man of the land, Major Lee realized his dream of owning a cattle farm by purchasing 200 acres in Sawyerville, which he named “Oakbriar” after its oak trees and Cherokee roses. He found great joy in transforming the property into a family sanctuary, often spent watching his cattle graze or tending to the “county’s worth” of hummingbirds at his feeders. A devoted lover of golden retrievers, he raised ten over the years; he was rarely seen without one unless he was on his tractor.
Known throughout Hale County simply as “the Major,” he was regarded as a remarkably unselfish man who treated everyone with equal love and respect. Whether it was preparing the coffee pot for his children every evening or beating everyone to the kitchen to wash the dishes, he consistently placed others before himself. He was also deeply passionate about the Marine Corps, organizing the Black Belt Marines’ Birthday Ball for many years, and was a dedicated Alabama football fan and lover of classical music.
Major Lee was laid to rest at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo on Tuesday, March 24th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Friends of Hale County Animal Shelter or the Wounded Warrior Project. (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org)
