Ronald Edward Lee, Sr., 78, of Brunswick, passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at Ascension St. Vincent's in Jacksonville, FL.

A service to celebrate Ron's life will be held Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 11:00am, at Chapman Funeral Chapel.

Ron was born November 29, 1947, in Waycross, GA to Jerome Carlos Lee Sr and Daisy Lee Dowling Lee.  He had lived in Brunswick most of his life and was a 1966 graduate of Glynn Academy.  Ron received an Associate Degree from Brunswick Junior College.  He was a member of Glyndale Baptist Church where he had also formerly served as a Deacon.  Prior to its closing ,he had worked as a welder at B & W then began his career in law enforcement as an officer at the City of Brunswick Police Department.  Followed by Metro Drug Squad and the first officer with the department to receive a drug canine, Bando, then on to the Governor's Task Force.  Ron eventually went to work as an SRO with the School System and had a dual role as school transportation director, and was then promoted to Police Chief with the Glynn County School System.  When not working, he enjoyed fishing, wood working, and cooking.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Shirley Higginbotham Lee, children; Denise Miller (James) of Brunswick, Amy Hatcher (Marty), of Hortense, and Ron E. Lee, Jr., of Brunswick, siblings, Cindy Lee,  and Darrell Lee (Kathryn), all of Brunswick ; brother in law Linton Higginbotham of Brunswick and Bill Higginbotham of Amelia Island, Florida. Grandchildren, Alexis Potts (Nathan), Kelsey Lee, Stanley Lee, Andrew Gordon, Ben Lee, and Ron E 'Tripp' Lee, III, great grandchildren, Sophia and Brady Potts, and numerous nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his  loyal canines Whiskey, Rock, Trudy and Pearl and his coffee drinking cat, Roscoe.   In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Jerome Lee, Jr., and Donald Lee sister in laws Martha Higginbotham and Delores Higginbotham.