James Lawrence "Larry" Lee

James Lawrence "Larry" Lee, age 77, of Knoxville, TN, went home to the Lord on Friday, September 5, 2025, following a lengthy illness. He was preceded in death by his father, F. Lawrence Lee, and his mother, Grace Hellyer Lee. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Judy Lee. He is also survived by his daughter Becky (Lee) Rowe, son-in-law Tommy Rowe, and grandchildren Leah and Ben Rowe.
Larry loved the Lord, the Church, his family, and all things trains. Known for his sense of humor, he was an avid model railroader and proud three-time Auburn University graduate. He was blessed with a lifetime of opportunities that saw his passions intersect in remarkable ways. After graduating from Auburn in mechanical engineering in 1971, he began his career with Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in Jacksonville, Florida. It was in Jacksonville that he met and then married his wife in 1974. In 1981, he and his young family returned to his beloved Auburn, Alabama, where he remained until 2004. Over those years, Larry enjoyed a rewarding career as an engineer first at Ampex in neighboring Opelika, Alabama, where he was involved in their pioneering work with magnetic tape technology in the 1980's. He then worked for the environmental consulting firm Roy F. Weston in the early 1990's before deciding to return to graduate school at Auburn to pursue his love of history, specifically history of technology. While working on his Master's and Doctoral degrees in the mid-late '90's, he had the pleasure of serving as the curator of the Museum of East Alabama as well as working as a graduate teaching assistant for undergraduate Technology and Civilization classes. He even had his future son-in-law in one of those classes! Upon completion of his Ph.D. in 2001, he taught history at Southern Union State Community College for several years before accepting a position in Washington, D.C. with the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), a division of the National Parks Service. His position at HAER was titled Engineer-Historian and was truly the culmination of all of his training and vocational interests. The fascinating projects and interesting people he met through his work there brought him great joy and satisfaction, and he remained in that position until his retirement. Following his retirement, he and Judy moved to Knoxville in 2021 to be near family. Throughout his career, Larry was actively involved in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He won their national Old Guard prize while an undergraduate student and later served for many years as the national chairman of the History and Heritage Committee. He was also named a Fellow of ASME. He was a frequent speaker for landmark designations and conferences in the US and internationally, and he contributed many articles and drawings for ASME publications. Because of his vast engineering knowledge, he was also tapped for work with the American Society of Civil Engineers on occasion. His knowledge base and nation-wide connections led him on great adventures, from work on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in the '80s to teaching in Germany in the '90s to contributing to a book for NASA in the 2000's. In addition to his vocational interests, Larry was a great lover of classical and jazz music, particularly Swing. A member of the Auburn University Band during his college days, he was a connoisseur of band and orchestral music, and was especially fond of the clarinet, which he enjoyed playing in community bands over the years. He was a founding member of the Auburn University Alumni Band, assisted in planning their inaugural reunion in the '80's, and served on their Board several years. Larry's faith was very important to him, and he served the local church everywhere he lived. From singing in the choir to serving as an Elder, he was always deeply involved in the life of the church. It gave him strength, purpose, and community. The Apostle Paul said that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), so he has now come full circle with his Savior. His final train ride took him to Glory, and he is now singing with the saints. Praise be to God! The family will receive friends on Monday, September 8 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Gentry-Griffey Funeral Chapel in Fountain City. A celebration of life will be held at Christian Church of Fountain City on Tuesday, September 9 at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Christian Church of Fountain City or the Auburn University Band. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of James Lawrence, please visit our Tree Store.