Former supervisor dies unexpectedly
NEW CASTLE – The community is mourning Craig County leader John Lee this week, whose funeral was Monday afternoon.
Lee, who was 67, served on the Craig County Board of Supervisors for 20 years and continued to be active in the community after retiring from the board about 11 years ago. He died Aug. 5 at his home.
“He was a wonderful person,” said Supervisor Helen Looney, who, although she didn’t serve on the board with Lee, observed him.
“Every time he went to vote he would kind of pause for a minute. He was so subtle about it, nobody knew it but I did. He was praying for the right guidance,” explained Looney, who has served on the board of supervisors for eight years.
“I’ve known him all his life,” she added. “Even when he was a teenager I never heard one bad word against him.
Paitsel Funeral Home in New Castle was packed Sunday night with an estimated more-than 200 people waiting inside and out to pay respects to Lee’s family, including his wife, Linda, and son, Jonathan.
The life-long resident of the county worked for Norfolk Southern Railroad for 36 years.
He was an elder and leader in his church, Mountain View Christian, past Master of Mountain Lodge No. 140, and a long-time blood donor. He donated more than 31 gallons of blood over the years to the American Red Cross. Lee was buried in the Lee Family Cemetery.
