Dr. John Everett Lee

Voracious reader, agile intellect, and sardonic observer, John embraced a spacious range of medical endeavors. He often emphasized careful listening as productive technique: “Don’t just do something; stand there.” He loved adventurous travel with Ione and relating to an extraordinary range of people. In his later years as an accomplished woodworker, he acknowledged the intensity of his urge to address challenges and make things. This practical enthusiasm characterized his life: he called it his “muse.”

Born and raised in Charlotte, NC John attended Woodberry Forest School. He graduated with distinction from Princeton University and Duke University School of medicine. As a captain in the U.S. Army he practiced psychiatry and neurology at Valley Forge General Hospital before moving to NYC where he practiced and taught at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical College. John spearheaded the first trials of the drug L-DOPA for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.

In later private practice, John and his partners introduced the first CT scanner in Atlanta, offering one of the first outpatient CT services in the nation. He also practiced and taught as Medical Director of Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center. John was an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, an early President of the Georgia Neurological Society, and Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of Staff at Northside Hospital. John was a Trustee of Northside Hospital and the Hospital Authority of Fulton County.

For a self-described unsuccessful athlete, he was astonishingly active. He was a beloved Scoutmaster and an unflagging outdoorsman, hiking across high mountains of eight states. An inveterate swimmer, he did a mile of laps every day. An enthusiastic sailor, he crewed or skippered an array of boats and eventually made an Atlantic crossing. John also had an enduring fascination with the automobile, eventually owning 35 cars over the years starting with a 1935 Ford rumble seat coupe. Most of them blasted classical music.

A lifelong woodworker, John began by making Shaker boxes in the basement of his army home in Valley Forge and eventually produced sought after sculptural furniture from his shop at the corner of Culpepper and English Streets in Atlanta. A keen admirer of craft communities, he served on the Board of Trustees of Penland School of Craft for 8 years.

John is survived by his wife Ione; his two children Sarah Lee (Chris) Choa of London, UK and Jonathan (Susan) Lee of Hartsville, SC; his five grandchildren Isabel (Nico) Elson-Enriquez, Everett (“Evie”) Elson, Edward Lee (Ed) Elson, Mary Coker Lee, John (“Jack”) Lee; his sister Sarah (“Tinka” ) McArdle; his loving nephews and nieces; and his step grandchildren, Lauren, Cameron and Kyle Meyers and Nick and Henry Choa.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 23rd at 2:00 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road, NW. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Penland School of Craft https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/32370/donations/new or Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease research https://www.michaeljfox.org/tribute