Obituary: Rev. Virgil Ray Lee

Services for Virgil R. Lee, 86 of Thomasville wer held at 11:00 am, Saturday, November 25, 2023 at Dawson Street Methodist Church. Mr. Lee passed away November 21, 2023 at his residence. Burial took place after the service at 2:00pm, at Sylvania United Methodist Church, 820 Hutchinson Ferry Rd, Faceville, Ga 39828.  

Virgil R. Lee was born in Grady County, Georgia in 1937 and completed high school there in 1956. He obtained degrees from Young Harris College, Valdosta State College and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. 

Rev. Lee married Sue Howell in May 1965, and they had two children, Allen and Suzanne. Suzanne is married to Troy Stencel and they have 3 children, Chandler, Anna and Barrett. Allen has 3 children William, Abby and Thomas. 

Allen was an architect and now a physician, Suzanne is a pharmacist, and Troy is an architect. Chandler has completed medical school and is currently doing his first year of Residency; William and Anna have recently graduated from Samford University; Abby is a Junior at Georgia Tech and Thomas and Barrett are in the 8th grade. 

Rev. Lee began his ministry on the Cairo Circuit during his college years and served as a local pastor across the South Georgia from 1958 June 1993. In June of 1993, Bishop Richard Looney, Bishop of the South Georgia Annual Conference, invited Rev. Lee to serve as District Superintendent of the Americus District. 

Over the years, he has served in a number of positions which include Conference Chairman of Health and Welfare Ministries, Board of Trustees of the Methodist Home for Children and Youth and Magnolia Manor. He was on the Board of Trustees for Candler Hospital in Savannah and served on the board of the Georgia commission of higher education. He was also on the board of Trustees for the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Southwestern College and at Georgia Tech. 

In 1996, Rev Lee published the book “Little Sermons That I Have Seen.” 

Rev. Lee was preceded in death by his father, Maurice Christian Lee (1987), his mother, Lois Cook Lee (2006), his wife, Carol Sue Howell Lee (2014), and his sister, Leah Lee (2019). He is survived by his brother, Winfred Lee of Cairo, Georgia and sister-in-law, Judy Howell, as well as his children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Virgil Lee Family Foundation at TNB Bank.