Lamar Reese remembered by Albany-Dougherty leaders, family

ALBANY — As news of the his passing on Saturday spread throughout the community, Albany and Dougherty County leaders on Monday described J. Lamar Reese Jr. as an “icon” of the community who possessed a rare combination of dedication and commitment.

Businessman and former Dougherty County Commission Chairman Jeff “Bodine” Sinyard, who had been friends with “Rooster” Reese more than 35 years, said he was saddened by the news of long-time civic leader’s passing.

“These things are always difficult,” Sinyard said. “It’s so sad in so many ways. Rooster Reese, the service and the sacrifice he made for the this community, it is really incredible. It’s hard to imagine Albany, Georgia, without Rooster. He gave so much to so many.”

Those he gave to included his loving family. His son Mack Reese spoke on behalf of himself, his bothers John and Frank, and the rest of the Reese family.

“He gave us so much of his time,” Mack Reese said. “He gave us all the things you’d want and expect from a father. Family was really important to him.”

His middle son also spoke of the enduring love Reese had for his wife, Sandra McKemie Reese, and the fine example he set as a husband.

“He set a good example and was a good role model of not just what a father should be, but what a husband should be,” Mack Reese said. “He was a caring and dedicated husband for 60-something years. I’m not sure there was a better lesson that a father could teach a son. He gave unconditional love and and a wonderful marriage. That’s what he gave us.”

Mack Reese said that through his business ventures, Lamar Reese taught each of his sons and, by extension, his grandchildren, the value of hard work. Through his life in public service on both the Dougherty County School Board and the county Board of Commissioners, he taught them about doing a civic duty.

“He was not the kind of person who would seek out fame,” Mack Reese said. “Opportunities came to him. He was kind, fair, loyal and honest. I think it’s pretty remarkable that someone who did what he did didn’t seek out those roles.

“There was something about him that people liked and trusted. Albany, Dougherty County, is a better place for Lamar Reese. Without him Albany and Dougherty County would not be what they are today.

“He’s left us in body, but he hasn’t left us in spirit. That will live on. He lived a happy and joyful life. He packed a lot of life into 83 years.”

Other local leaders also said Reese had left a large imprint on the community that will not soon be forgotten.

“It’s a very sad day for Dougherty County,” Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said. “He had a rare dedication and commitment to this community. He was a great man and left a legacy in Dougherty County. My sympathies to his family.”

Reese served as chair of the County Commission for four years, turning over the reins to Cohilas’ predecessor Sinyard in 2003. Before that, Reese served 16 years (1980-96) on the Dougherty County Board of Education, serving as chair of that organization for 13 years. He also served on the Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County.

“He was a true asset to this community and will be missed,” Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard said.

“The Phoebe Family is deeply saddened by the passing of Lamar Reese,” Phoebe Putney Health System President and CEO Joel Wernick said. “He was a trusted leader who advanced the mission of every organization that was fortunate to have him as a champion. A long-time member of the Hospital Authority, Mr. Reese’s service to our community and state was an inspiration to all. His influence touched so many sectors and his dedication to improving our community was indeed boundless.”

Reese, a native of the northwest Georgia city of Rome, graduated from high school in 1951 in LaGrange after his family moved to that community. In 1955, he received his bachelor of science in industrial management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity and the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Reese also served two years in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant following graduation from Georgia Tech.

Mack Reese said his father’s time in the Navy was very dear to him and that had it not been for his commitment to Sandra, Albany’s history would be considerably different.

“If he hadn’t loved my mother so much and was committed to marrying her, he might have completed a career in the U.S. Navy,” he said. “Chalk that one up to love.”

Upon moving to Albany to start his married life in 1957 Reese started Reese Construction Company and he was a founding partner of LRA Constructors.

Active in community affairs, Reese served on numerous boards and organizations, including the Albany Board of Realtors, the Albany Home Builders Association and the Kiwanis Club. He was a board member of SunTrust Bank, Darton State College and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, which awarded him the chamber’s first Lifetime Service Award in 2010.

In December 2004, he was recognized as an outstanding friend of the Darton College Foundation. That event was attended by his friend, Johnny Isakson, who had just been elected to the U.S. Senate and was to start his first term in 2005.

“With Lamar, what you see is what you get,” Isakson said at time. “He is the real thing. He is very humble and sincerely so. He has done so much without desire for credit. He’s a great guy.”

On Feb. 14, 2014, Reese, who served as president of the Georgia School Boards Association, was surprised with a birthday honor at the Dougherty County school that bears his name, the Lamar Reese Magnet School of the Arts. He thought he had been asked to the school on his birthday to read to students.

“I had no idea this was going to happen,” he said at the time. “This school has meant so much to me.

“I remember driving back to Albany in 1999 and (then School Board member) Michael Windom called me and said the board had decided to name the school after me. I was so shocked, I had to pull off the road. It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

Reese was also a long-time active member and advocate for the Albany YMCA. He was a member of Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church, where he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Administrative Board. A devoted alumnus of Georgia Tech, he was a trustee of the Alumni Association, member of the Scheller School of Management Advisory Board, recipient of the Dean Griffin Community Service Award, and president of the Albany Area Georgia Tech Club.

“If you took the top 50 citizens who made a difference in this community and created a hall of fame, he’d be leading the way,” Albany City Commissioner B.J. Fletcher said.

“I remember when he served as County Commission chair,” Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard said. “He was an icon in the city and county.”

Albany City Commissioner Roger Marietta said Reese’s passing was “a shock. He was a giant in the community. I know we and his family will miss him greatly.”

Reese is survived by his wife, Sandra McKemie Reese; his sons, John Lamar Reese III (Mary), Marvin McKemie Reese (Holly), Franklin Howard Reese (Loulie); his grandchildren, John Lamar Reese IV (Jamie), William Metris Reese, Paul McKemie Reese, Jordan Virginia Reese, Marvin McKemie Reese Jr., Robert Francis Reese, Franklin Howard Reese Jr., Loulie Eugenia Reese; his great-granddaughter, Carlyn Virginia Reese; his sister, Dana Reese Harris, and three nieces.

Visitation will be 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Porterfield United Methodist Church.

— Terry Lewis, Jennifer Parks and Jim Hendricks contributed to this story.