George Lee lives in Bend, Oregon with his wife Caryn and cat Tuffin. George is an Army Veteran with a long and distinguished career as a Military Police Officer and Police Detective for the Seattle Police Department. After a decade of living with Parkinson’s Disease, he was diagnosed with ALS in January 2024.
George and Caryn find support from local Care Services Coordinator Christina Riddock and regularly attend the Central Oregon ALS Support Group and ALS Clinic.
Early Life: Tobacco Farming
Born in Brandywine, Maryland in 1951, George was the third of 10 children. His father and grandfather were both hardworking sharecroppers on a tobacco farm. Because his family was very poor, George and his brothers were expected to work on the field as young as 8 years old and spent many long days helping their father harvest tobacco leaves. It was very physically demanding work, and George realized farming was not for him.
After George graduated from high school in 1969, he got a job working at a fast food restaurant in Washington D.C. During his shifts, George would often serve police officers who frequented the restaurant. The many conversations George had with the police sparked George’s interest in pursuing the field of law enforcement. He saw the U.S. Army as a good route to accomplish this goal—he planned to become a Military Police Officer in the Army and serve for three years. In doing so, he would be eligible for the G.I. Bill and could attend college to get his degree in Law Enforcement.
Army Career Advancement
After joining the Army in 1973, George soon got the opportunity to be part of the Drug Suppression Unit. He went undercover as a narcotics officer, a dangerous position in which he was almost killed. Despite the initial plan to get his Law Enforcement degree, George ultimately re-enlisted. After several promotions, he joined the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, developing his own drug suppression team and making several large drug busts. He went on to work for the Protective Service Unit in the Army and provided personal protection to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. George also served on missions with Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinburger, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, and General Norman Schwarzkopf to name just a few. He witnessed the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989 and other monumental events he never imagined he would experience.
George retired in 1997 after 24 years of Army service. That same year, George applied for a job with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and at age 45, was one of their oldest recruits. George enjoyed his time as a police officer and especially liked patrolling and getting to know people in the community. As a person of color, he felt like he was making an especially positive impact with his service.
Love, Parkinson’s Disease, and ALS
In 2001, George met and fell in love with Caryn (pictured), a fellow Detective for the SPD. They got married in 2002 and were enjoying the life they had built until George began experiencing unexplained health issues like depression, anxiety and tremors. After 16 years of working for the SPD, George and Caryn made the difficult decision to retire and moved to Bend, Oregon.
George was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2014. However, he started to notice unusual lightheadedness and weakness in his left arm and hand in 2023. He also noticed it was getting harder for him to speak. In January 2024, George was diagnosed with ALS.
It’s important to George to stay both mentally and physically active. He is currently enrolled in tai chi and High Intensity Interval Training classes, but misses hiking, pickleball, and playing competitive table tennis. While he doesn’t ‘look’ disabled, Caryn noted that “trying to do multiple things back-to-back is exhausting” for him.
Since his diagnosis, George and Caryn have been learning more about how to manage the symptoms of ALS with help from ALS Northwest. George expresses deep gratitude for Christina Riddock, the Central Oregon Care Services Coordinator: “She has been wonderful – she was my first connection with ALS Northwest. She enlightened me about the resources available like the ALS Clinic, VA benefits, and the ALS support group.”
For others facing ALS, George also shared, “No matter what you are going through, there is always somebody who is worse off than you are. Just be thankful for what you have.”