Mr. James Robert Lee Sr., 78, and Bernadette Patcella Lee, 76, of Ellijay, passed from this life in May of 2021 and have gone home in glory to be with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jim departed May 10 and Bernadette followed shortly thereafter May 22. As a couple, they were well-matched and loved each other dearly. Jim and Bernadette were married for 57 years and are survived by three children and their spouses, James R Lee Jr., and wife, Patricia Matthews Lee; Christiane Lee Miller and husband, Bill Miller; and Stephanie Lee Newton and husband, Chuck Newton.
Jim and Bernadette were dedicated grandparents to eight grandchildren: Kalen, Kirby, Maggie, Mallory, Abbie, Charlie, Caroline and Robby; and 11 great-grandchildren.s They met as students at Central Islip High School in Eastern Long Island, N.Y. After high school, Jim graduated from Farmingdale College in New York and then entered the U.S. Navy where he learned to fly and became a naval aviator. Upon graduating from high school, Bernadette moved to Washington, D.C., and went to work in the FBI. They married July 5, 1963, and started their family soon thereafter.
In 1966, Jim left the Navy and went to work as a pilot for Eastern Air Lines. He and Bernadette continued to grow their family, and in 1976 a summer vacation in Gainesville turned into a permanent relocation. When Eastern Air Lines went out of business in 1991, Jim and Bernadette made an adventurous move to Taipei, Taiwan, where Jim continued his aviation career as a captain for EVA airlines. During this time, Jim and Bernadette traveled extensively in Asia and Europe. In 2001, they retired from EVA and returned to the U.S., eventually settling in Ellijay.
Bernadette was a great mom and had the heart of a teacher. She was a talented artist, decorator, seamstress, baker, Cub Scout and Brownie Den Leader and gardener. She shared many of her crafts with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She never met a stranger and had a gift for making others feel special and valued.
Always generous with her time, she participated in and led many ministries and charitable groups. She was even an active participant in a woman’s prison ministry. In recent years, Bernadette became a passionate volunteer for Operation Christmas Child. She found great joy in packing shoe boxes full of gifts for children around the world. She even made beautiful handmade dolls to include in her shoe boxes. She understood that the children would not just receive a shoe-box gift but would also have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jim was a Christian family man, patriot, naval aviator and airline captain. He was a Boy Scout leader, wrestling coach and loved to work in the yard. He was an avid golfer and runner. In fact, Jim began running in the early 1970s before running shoes had even been invented, relying on his converse high tops to cover the miles. He instilled in his family an important work ethic and the importance of personal responsibility. Jim also found time to invest in others in numerous ways.
In recent years, he had served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children. His faith in the Lord was apparent and his prayers at family gatherings memorable.
Jim and Bernadette loved to dance. They were particularly fond of the “oldies” hits from the 50s and 60s and would often spend evenings dancing to songs like the Drifters “This Magic Moment,” much to the delight of their children.
Jim — a lifelong pilot — and Bernadette — known to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as “Bee” or “BB” — had one specific request, that the old hymn “I’ll Fly Away” be included in their memorial. The Captain and his Queen Bee.
“I’ll fly away ... oh glory. I’ll Fly away”
To a Land where Joy shall never End
I’ll Fly Away ...
A celebration of life will be held at 3 p.m., Sunday, July 11, 2021, at Covenant Community Church of Ellijay, 191 Harold Pritchett Road.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, well-wishers would instead pack a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child or contribute to this organization. Feel free to bring the shoe boxes to the celebration of life. For information on how to pack a shoebox or donate, see Samaritanspurse.org.