John Edward Lee, age 93, of Benton, passed away Tuesday September 29, 2026. He was born August 24th of 1933 to Budd Lee and Rachel Childress Lee. John attended Benton Junior High and Benton High School before joining the Navy in August of 1951. Following his honorable discharge in 1955, John followed in his father’s footsteps working in the Reynolds Metal, Co. mine in Hurricane Creek. John and his wife of 53 years, Joyce M Lee, were charter members of Highland Heights Baptist Church in Benton, Arkansas.

John was preceded in death by his father Bud Lee; mother Rachel Childress Lee; brother James Lee; brother Ross Lee; and his wife of 53 years Joyce M. Lee.

John is survived by sister Margie Hughes (Don); daughter Debbie Lee Chambers (Joe) and son Bart Lee (Carol); grandchildren Dustin Clark, Rachel Lee Jones (Kevin), Cameron Alarcon (Meredith), Coulton Lee (Grace), and Easton Alarcon (Madison); great-grandchildren Henry and Heath Jones, Nora and Decker Lee, and Jackson Alarcon.

Above all else, John was a man who passionately loved Christ and deeply loved his family. His faith was not simply something he spoke about, but something he carried with him throughout his life and shared through the way he loved and cared for those around him.

For more than 50 years, he shared a loving and devoted marriage with his wife, building a life centered on faith, family, and a deep appreciation for life’s simple joys. John treasured his many nieces and nephews, who all lovingly referred to him as “Punk.” He loved his children deeply and was immensely proud of the lives and families they built. Some of his greatest joy came from being “PawPaw” to his 5 grandchildren. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren were a light in his life, and he proudly celebrated his latest title of “Great PawPaw”.

In his spare time, John was happiest outdoors, and you could often find him fishing, hunting, or simply sitting on his back porch, sipping one of his famously weak cups of coffee while quietly watching the deer and enjoying nature.

Our family knows how incredibly fortunate we were to have him for so many years. While we would always have wished for more time, we are grateful for every year, every story, every laugh, every lesson, and the memories we now keep. We find peace in knowing that he is home with the Lord he loved so faithfully –whole, free from the burdens of this earth, and as we like to imagine, already finding the perfect fishing spot in Heaven. He leaves behind a legacy of faith and compassion that will continue through the generations that follow.

Visitation will be 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 5 at Ashby Funeral Home with services beginning at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Mt. Olive Cemetery in Bauxite. Bro. Brian Moore will be officiating.