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Mr. Keith Eric Lee, age 75, of Americus, passed away January 16, 2024 at Magnolia Manor. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, January 19, 2024 in the chapel of Aldridge Funeral & Cremation services. Rev. Tom Dowdy will officiate the service. The family will greet friends from 2:00 p.m. until service time Friday in the funeral home chapel.

Keith Lee was born October 25, 1948 in Vienna, Georgia son of the late Woodrow “Red” Lee and the late Mary Carr Lee.

Keith Lee, known as Coach Lee by many, was a career educator.  He was born and raised in Vienna, GA and attended Vienna High School, starring in basketball, football, and track & field.  He attended Georgia Southwestern State University and obtained bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degrees.

He spent 34 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator.  Starting as a history teacher and coach in Mystic, GA, and eventually at Staley Middle School and Lee Co Middle School, he retired as the Principal of Staley Middle School, which earned the National School of Excellence in 1990 while he was there.  Coach Lee coached football and track & field at Staley Middle School and Americus High School.  He was a part of the coaching staff of the 1975 AHS State and National Championship football team. In the summers, Coach Lee was in charge of the Sumter County Recreation Department swimming program.

Mr. Lee also taught as an adjunct professor in the School of Education at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus.  After retirement, he spent 13 years in Schley County working in their Career & Technical Education Program.  He also was an officer, including President, of the Sumter Retired Educators Association and Area Director of Georgia Retired Educators Association.  Mr. Lee also volunteered with the Phoebe Sumter Hospital Auxiliary and Americus Harvest of Hope Food Pantry.

Survivors include his wife Donna Lee of Americus. Three sons and daughters-in-law, Erik Lee (Gail) of Camilla, GA, Greg Lee (Melanie) of Charlotte, NC and Greg Davis of Dacula, GA. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Holland Lee, Ethan Moss, Victoria Lee, Caroline Lee, Mitchell Davis, Abigail Davis, Aidan Lee, Ashton Lee and a great grandson, Jonah Meiners. A sister, Sandra Dickerson of Albany and two brothers, Phillip Lee and David Lee (Melanie) both of Vienna.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Lee was preceded in death by a son Neal Davis Creel and a grandson Noah Lee.

In lieu of flowers, his family would like to see donations made in his name to the Sumter Retired Educators’ Keith Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund or The Sumter County Recreation Department.

Details for the Keith Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund:

Checks should be made out to SCREA.  Funds will be given to underprivileged local high school graduates to attend college.  More details to follow.

Mail checks to:

Donna Franklin

55 County Line CHURCH Road

Ellaville,  GA 31806

Or online payments to the Keith Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund at:

https://gofund.me/4904a742

Donations to the Sumter Parks & Recreation Department in Keith Lee’s name will be used to fund underprivileged children’s participation in sports programs.

To donate, mail checks to:

Sumter Parks & Recreation Department

408 Rucker St

Americus, GA 31719

To sign the online guest book and share your condolences with the family please visit aldridgefuneralservices.com Aldridge Funeral & Cremation Services is in charge of these arrangements.