Jerry Franklin Lee was born on May 18, 1939, in Plainfield, New Jersey, to the late Jerry Miles and Mary Magdalene Holmes Lee. Jerry went to elementary school in Middlesex County in Locust Hill, Virginia. He and his sister Velma lived there with their grandparents until they moved back to Plainfield, New Jersey, where Jerry graduated from Plainfield High School in 1958.
Jerry dedicated his life to serving his country in the United States Navy. He enlisted in 1961, at the early age of 22, and served with honor and distinction for 26 years before retiring as Chief Petty Officer in 1987. During his time in the Navy, Jerry was stationed at several locations around the world, most notably in Rota, Spain. He served on various ships and took part in many missions in his career.
He was married to the late Lucille Lettie Lee of Oxford, North Carolina, in April 1962. From this union, two children were born; Pamela Denise Lee and Lawrence Fitzgerald Lee. Jerry remarried to the late Doris Lee of San Diego, California, in January 1988.
After retiring from the Navy, Jerry was an active member of Mt. Erie Baptist Church, where he served as a Sunday School Teacher, was on the Deacon Board, and a choir member. Jerry was an avid sports fan who loved watching the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Jerry married the late Barbara Rowe Lee of San Diego in November 2012, with an extended family that includes Tanya Rowe, Ray Rowe, and the late Leatrice Rowe.
On February 23, 2024, Jerry Franklin Lee was called from labor to eternal rest.
Left to cherish his loving memory is his daughter Pamela Denise Brown, his son Lawrence Fitzgerald Lee (Patrice), three grandsons; Eric Brown Jr., Diante Lee, and Elijah Brown, his granddaughter Taya Lee, great-grandson Braxton Lee, extended family; Tanya Rowe and Ray Rowe, his sister Velma Lee, niece Roberta Jean Lee, along with a host of relatives and friends.
