John Lee

Jan 12, 1946 -

Mar 10, 2020

John S. Lee passed away peacefully on March 10, 2020, in Seattle, Wash. He was born to Arthur and Helen Lee in Anchorage, Alaska, on Jan. 12, 1946.

John grew up in Iliamna, where his parents operated the general store. He mushed his five-dog team to the nearby village of Nondalton each day to attend school through the eighth grade and then went on to Anchorage (now West) High School, graduating in 1963. Next, he attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. At the height of the Vietnam War, John joined the U.S. Army, attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Signal Corps officer. He served in Vietnam, where he became a company commander.

After his military service, John worked for RCA Alaska Communications (RCA Alascom) as a civil engineer and pilot. He played a major role in building new telecommunication facilities across Alaska, including the company's mountaintop facilities and its "bush telephone" project, which brought the first telephone service to many Alaskan villages.

In 1978, John started a new company to provide design and construction services to Alaska's telecom industry. He called the company New Horizons Telecom. At first John was the sole employee, working from his basement and the cockpit of his airplane. But John was a talented engineer who built things the right way and built them to last. His diligence, strong work ethic and ability to quickly respond to new opportunities helped the company grow quickly, and it ultimately became one of Palmer's major employers, providing many jobs to local people.

John loved aviation. It seemed that his favorite place was the pilot's seat in an airplane. He could fly almost any aircraft, from a Super Cub to a jet, and he used his love of flying to help his hometown of Palmer. John saw Palmer's airport as a "crown jewel" that could become one of the city's greatest assets. He worked to make that dream a reality, serving for years on Palmer's Airport Advisory Committee. During John's tenure on the committee, the airport thrived, adding new airside businesses like Life Med to its grounds. And soon after the completion of the airport's big runway restoration project, Palmer honored John by naming its new helipad the John S. Lee Helipad.

John worked "below the radar," never calling attention to himself. He avoided publicity. But despite his low-key, soft spoken manner, John made great contributions to Palmer and to all of Alaska.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Helen Lee. He is survived by his two sons, Leighton (Katherine) of Palmer and Conan (Jennifer) of Seattle; and his four grandsons, Connor, Alex, Ace and Van.

A celebration of life is planned for April 24, 2020, at 2 p.m. Per his wish, the event will take place in John's hangar located at 901 Cope Industrial Way on the Palmer Airport. Due to current uncertainty surrounding travel and large gatherings, this event may be postponed and the family will make every effort to reschedule efficiently.