Walter "Wally" Hobbs Lee, Jr.'s Obituary
Walter "Wally" Hobbs Lee, Jr., of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away on January 10, 2025. Born on August 16, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, Wally was the beloved husband of Monica Mellini of Alexandria, Virginia.
Wally was the son of the late Walter "Dee" Hobbs Lee, Sr. (1914 – 1984) and Lillian Louise Lawless Lee (1916 – 2022), and the grandson of William Daniel Lee, former Memphis Chief of Police. He was predeceased by his sister, Laurie Lee Burnes (d. 2021), and is survived by his brother-in-law, Jonas Burnes of Germantown.
Wally is also survived by his children: Wyatt Lee (Elizabeth) of Ruxton, Maryland, and Katherine Lee of Rockville, Maryland. He was a proud grandfather to Caroline and Julia. Additionally, he leaves behind his stepchildren: Christopher, Michael, Robert, Katherine, and Mackenzie, as well as his nieces: Brooke Burnes Stover (Luke) of Germantown and Whitney Burnes Geer (Dustin) of Memphis.
A graduate of White Station High School, Wally earned a degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) and a Master of Science in Physics from the Florida Institute of Technology. He was a member of the Tennessee Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Wally's career as a telecommunications engineer and engineering manager included notable positions at General Electric and E-Systems. He specialized in integration and testing and was an expert in the design of network communications systems. One of his proudest achievements was completing the Advanced Course in Engineering at General Electric, a rigorous graduate-level program taught by RPI faculty.
Wally dedicated countless hours to volunteer service, counseling inmates at the Montgomery County, Maryland Detention Center, and mentoring for the Montgomery County Girls in Technology Task Force. After retirement, he became a private consultant specializing in proposal writing and took on volunteer leadership roles in IEEE, where he met his wife Monica. Together, they served IEEE in various capacities, earning numerous awards for their contributions.
In recent years, Wally and Monica enjoyed annual reunions with his Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers in Sevierville, a tradition that continues to this day.
Wally's legacy of service, dedication, and love for his family and community will be remembered by all who knew him.
The visitation will be held Wednesday, January 22, from 10:00 a.m. until the service time at 11:00 at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Click below to view the memorial tribute video online.
https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/F357Z7WQZMCJSPKJ
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