J. Lee Annis, Jr.

J. Lee Annis, Jr., age 68, of Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away on March 5, 2026 after a short but fierce battle with cancer. Born on May 13, 1957 in Rockledge, Florida, he spent his school years in Alexandria, Virginia and Rockville, Maryland, graduating from Robert E. Peary High School in 1974. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at Hanover College in Indiana and later received his Master’s and PhD from Ball State University.

Lee was a dedicated historian, teacher, and author who taught for four decades at Montgomery College. He wrote several well-received books, including Howard Baker: Conciliator in an Age of Crisis, Big Jim Eastland: The Godfather of Mississippi, and, with former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Senators, 1911-2001: Portraits of Leadership in a Century of Change, along with numerous scholarly articles. His final project, completed for the bicentennial of Hanover College, took him across the country to interview many individuals connected with the college, including former Vice President Mike Pence and actor Woody Harrelson.

Known for his wide and varied circle of friends, Lee took special joy in staying connected with others and organizing reunions of every kind—family, school, political, and especially his beloved annual rock shrimp parties. He was a warm and engaging presence who cherished the relationships he built throughout his life.

He is survived by his sister, Gayle Annis-Forder and her husband Dick, two aunts and an uncle, many cousins on both sides of the family, and scores of friends. He was predeceased by his parents, James L. Annis, Sr. and Betty Ann Pound Annis, and his brother, Richard Carl Annis.