Lee Austin Jones, a dedicated lifelong rancher and active member of the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation, passed away peacefully on December 1, 2025, at the age of 92, in Payson, Arizona.

Born on March 11, 1933, at the Windmill Ranch outside Cottonwood, Arizona, Lee was the son of Payson and Gila County pioneers Claude Austin "Bud" Jones and Myrth DenaIone Pyle Jones. His early years were spent moving seasonally between the Windmill Ranch in winter and Rogers Lake near Flagstaff in summer, where he attended a one-room rock schoolhouse in Oak Creek. In 1942, the family relocated to the WEE Ranch (now Beaver Valley) near Payson, and later acquired the S open A Ranch in the Tonto National Forest and the Buck Springs allotment on the Mogollon Rim, affectionately known as "the mountain."

To ensure a strong public education, Lee attended Phoenix Union High School, living with his aunt while returning to the ranch for holidays and summers. He excelled academically and as a marksman in ROTC.

In 1951, during a visit home, Lee met his lifelong partner, Dixie Lee Sanders of Payson. They married on June 14, 1952, in the Elks Bar in Payson, honeymooning in the mountain cabin. The couple raised four sons: Austin (born 1953), Emmett (born 1955), Sheldon (born 1959), and Kevin (born 1961). Their life together included ranching stints in Nevada and Colorado before purchasing and operating the SA Ranch in Arizona from 1968 until its sale in 1997. They also developed desert farmland near Agua Caliente in partnership with Lee's brother Stuart.

Throughout his life, Lee committed himself deeply to Arizona's agricultural community. As an active member of the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation (as well as its Colorado counterpart earlier in his career), he advocated for farmers, ranchers, and rural stewardship. He also participated in the Arizona Cattle Growers Association and proudly supported his wife Dixie's leadership roles in the Arizona and National Cowbelles Associations, along with her involvement in the Payson Women’s Club. In 1977, Lee and Dixie were honored as Range Managers of the Year by the Society for Range Management for their outstanding dedication to land conservation and responsible ranching practices.

Lee served his local community as a member of the Payson School Board in the 1970s, serving as president during the introduction of wrestling to Payson High School.

In retirement after 2006, Lee and Dixie enjoyed time on their "mini farm" near Hyder, summers in Payson and later Tonto Basin, and travels across the Western U.S. and Alaska, including fishing trips and ocean cruises.

Lee's legacy endures through his lifelong commitment to ranching, family, and the Arizona Farm Bureau's mission to support and advance Arizona agriculture. He reflects so much of what makes agriculture great: people with grit and commitment to family, farming and community.