Lee Roach saw something he loved being threatened, the forested Chattahoochee River corridor, and decided to do something about it.
He and his wife Natalie helped form Friends of the River, which successfully stopped development along the river in the 1970s. His desire to see his county thrive helped him get elected Fulton County Commissioner at-large in 1977.
Roach served Fulton County for many years, working to preserve its natural beauty and enrich the lives of its residents.
“Lee was one of the countywide commissioners that had some of the best balance I’ve seen in local government. He cared how people lived in this county, he had a sincere, caring heart and he was a person of conviction, but his conviction didn’t stop him from listening to others and trying to come to a common resolve,” said Michael Hightower, one of Lee’s colleagues on the Fulton County Commission.
Lee Joseph Roach passed away in Pensacola, Fla., at age 81 of natural causes Jan. 15.
During the time he served the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, from 1977-1990, he got to see President Jimmy Carter sign an act putting the 48-mile Chattahoochee corridor in the National Park System, becoming the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It is a green gem, giving trout fisherman a place to fish within minutes of downtown Atlanta, and during weekends its trails and natural areas are crowded with hikers, bikers, runners and bird-watchers.
Roach was born in New York City to the late William and Alice Lee Roach.
A skilled musician, he loved playing baritone and double-bell euphonium horns and enjoyed a variety of music, particularly swing-era and the works of John Phillip Souza. He was awarded a music scholarship to Fordham University, and later he was a founding member of the Atlanta Concert Band.
He joined the Navy, attending the U.S. Naval Flight School in Pensacola, where he graduated and was commissioned U.S. Navy ensign. After leaving the Navy, he flew as a captain for Delta Airlines, a career path that his sons Michael and Christopher Roach also followed.
“He was a person of intelligence and integrity that laid the foundation for the strength and vitality of Fulton County that we have today,” said Fulton County Commissioner Emma Darnell of her predecessor.
“Lee was very critical to Fulton County’s growth,” said Hightower.
He was also active outside of politics and his career. During retirement Lee spent years with family in the Bahamas on Treasure Cay, the same area he and his family visited numerous times throughout his life while traveling on The Bug Out, the family’s boat. “We traveled the islands like vagabonds,” son Mike remembered.
Lee’s time in the Bahamas was not just for relaxation. An active member of the Catholic Church, Lee served as deacon for Saint Mary and Saint Andrew Catholic Church on the Abaco Islands where he provided a valuable service to the community in an area under-served by ordained priests. “He had quite a connection with the community down there,” remembered Monsignor Edward Dillon of a trip he took with Lee to the Bahamas. “There aren’t a lot of Catholics in the area, but Lee found them and connected.”
Roach is survived by his wife of 57 years, Natalie Jane Oster Roach, his four children, Patricia Ann Roach Norcom of Charlotte, N.C.; Michael William Roach of Atlanta, Christopher Charles Roach of Chicago; and Theresa Frances Roach McGough of Pensacola; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services were to be held Saturday, Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4465 Northside Dr. NW, Atlanta. Airline Uniforms are welcomed.
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