Richard R. Lee

March 16, 1933 – April 4, 2021

Brigadier General [Ret.] Richard R. Lee, who served 38 years in the Air Force, passed away on April 4, 2021. Gen. Lee was a loving and adored husband, father, and grandfather; and a leader who exemplified honor and humility.

Richard was born on 16 March 1933, in Shelby, North Carolina, a little east of Mooresboro. He was the oldest of five children and had three sisters and one brother. In 1951, he married Elizabeth Penson, his high school sweetheart and the love of his life.

Richard graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1955 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. He then attended UNC Law School and, in 1958, graduated with honors and received his Juris Doctorate. After graduation, he applied for and received a commission in the Air Force.

He spent several tours of duty in Arizona, South Carolina, England and Germany. But by far his longest tour of service was with the Air Force Academy, where he served as a professor in the Department of Law from 1963-1979; then returned to the Academy in 1988 to serve as the Law Department’s Permanent Professor and Department Head.

He retired effective 1 April 1996; at which time he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. During the retirement and promotion ceremony, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, Second Oak Leaf Cluster, which read in part:

“Richard R. Lee distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the United States as Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Law, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, from 15 July 1988 to 31 March 1997. Lee created and administered one of the nation’s premiere undergraduate Legal Studies majors, contributed significantly to Academy-wide curriculum integration and improvement, and inspired the men and women in his department to consistently perform in the top ten percent of all officers in the Dean of the Faculty organization as indicated in classroom effectiveness and organizational climate surveys. He inspired departmental instructors to teach legal concepts in the context of solving ill-defined problems through critical thinking rather than through rote memorization of rules unrelated to context. He played a major role in restructuring the Cadet Honor System along more efficient and effective lines and involved departmental instructors in the Honor Code process to ensure due process at all stages. As a vital member of the Academy Board, he assisted three Superintendents in fulfilling responsibilities involving admissions, disenrollments, military training, and academic reform. The Academy’s athletic programs were immeasurably strengthened by Lee’s strong support not only as an Academy Board member, but also as an active member and Chairman of the Academy Athletic Advisory Committee. Lee’s inspired leadership and commitment to academic and military excellence has left on the Academy the indelible stamp of a "Soldier-Scholar" who made a difference. Lee’s singularly distinctive accomplishments culminated a long and distinguished career in the service of his country and reflects great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.”

For all of the experiences, awards, and honors he received, Richard Lee remained true to himself, humble and a gentleman. Above all, a man of integrity.

Richard is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; sons Mark (Donna) and John (Katherine), grandsons Garrett and Kevin and his sister, Gail Rimes.

Visitation will be held at Swan Law Funeral Directors, 501 North Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 from 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. on Sunday April 25, 2021. Services will be held at the USAF Academy Memorial Pavilion located at the cemetery at 11:00 a.m. on April 26, 2021. Due to COVID and security restrictions, non-military guests who would like to attend must contact Swan Law Funeral Directors at (719) 471-9900 by April 13, 2021 with your name, date of birth, and driver license number and state of issue.

In lieu of flowers a contribution to the Falcon Foundation a 501-c charitable organization that helps aspiring young people who want a career in the US Air Force obtain the skills they need to gain admission to the Academy via scholarships to a Preparatory School or College. There are two ways to donate to the Falcon Foundation. You can send a check payable to the Falcon Foundation, noting that the donation is in honor of General Richard R. Lee, and mail it to:

Falcon Foundation

3116 Academy Drive

USAF Academy, CO 80840

Or you can use the gold “Dues & Donations” button to donate with your debit or credit card through our Paypal account on our website by following this link Donate Now . There is an option in PayPal to leave a “Special Note to the Falcon Foundation” and we encourage you to note the donation is in honor of General Richard R. Lee so we can keep track of donations.