John Arthur "Dock" Lee was born in Calhoun County, Georgia on September 17, 1951, to the late Curtis Lee and Fannie Castleberry Lee.  He was the seventh of eight children.

After moving to Albany, Georgia with his family at a young age, John was educated in the Dougherty County Public School System, and later completed the Masonry program at Monroe Area Vocational-Technical School.  Though he was trained in the skill of masonry, John's crafting talents excelled beyond listing ability; he was a jack of all trades.

A man of great faith and belief in Christ Jesus, John was a dedicated member of Christ Harvest Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, where he has served greatly in brotherhood and maintenance until his demise.  John embodied Matthew 5:16 in his daily life—he let his light shine.  He was a man of few words, yet his actions spoke loudly.

On June 25, 1981, John was joined in holy matrimony with Lelia Maude Stokes, and they were blessed with two daughters—Kimberly and Tiffany. Together, they provided a loving home where respect, humility, hard work, and reverence were lauded. In later years, he took pride in becoming a grandfather, better known as "PaPa" to his granddaughters, Kennedy and Londyn who were the apples of his eye. Nothing was more important to John than his family. However, his infectious personality made him worthy of being called "PaPa" and "Father" to extended family and friends.

John was a very industrious and resourceful individual with strong core values and work ethics. In 1994 during the recovery of the Flood of '94, John was employed at Albany State University in the Plant Operations Department.  He worked untiringly with the campus' reconstruction, proving it to be "The Unsinkable ASU."  John distinguished himself as a stellar employee through his work performance.  After retiring from Albany State University, he devoted his time to his family, his yardwork, and relaxation.  He recently fell in love with one line of a song he heard on the radio, and while walking through the house, he would often recite that line: "I used to have nothing, but now I got a whole lot of everythang."  His love and pride for his family, friends, and loved ones was evident and will forever be cherished by all who experienced his presence.

On December 3, 2022, John transitioned to eternal rest.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings James Lee, Charlie Lee, Rubye Zunzanyika, and Betty Norman.

Loving memories will forever remain with his wife, Lelia Lee; two daughters, Kimberly (Derrick) Boone and Tiffany Lee; two grandchildren, Kennedy Boone and Londyn Mitchell, all of Albany; three siblings, Curtis Lee, Jr. of Buffalo, NY, Timothy Lee of Huntsville, AL, and Linda Lee Thomas of Cincinnati, OH; one brother-in-law, Xavier Zunzanyika of Austin, TX; two aunts, Barbara Robinson of Dawson, GA and Bertha Prince of Birmingham, AL;  and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends.