Jack Lee retires as playing member of Simon Fraser University after a half-century as pipe-sergeant

After 50 years as pipe-sergeant of Grade 1 Simon Fraser University, six World Championship wins, and countless competition performances, Jack Lee has decided to retire from pipe band competition.

“It has been a terrific 50-year run, but I have decided to retire from the competition band,” Lee said. “The band is in a very strong position to move ahead, and I anticipate more amazing moments. I will be cheering you on and helping in various ways.”

As co-founder and pipe-sergeant of the band under his pipe-major brother, Terry and, for the last 10 years, Pipe-Major Alan Bevan, Jack Lee has played an essential role in maintaining SFU position as one of the most consistent top-tier bands ever.

In addition to the six World Championship titles (1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2009), SFU has had a remarkable success rate at the contest, placing either first or second 15 times. Since the band’s inception, it has recorded 11 full-length albums and two video DVDs and performed at some of the world’s most prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, New York’s Lincoln Center, and, of course, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

The SFU organization has dominated the Pacific Northwest scene for the last four decades. It established a sophisticated teaching program that has produced prize-winning feeder bands in the Robert Malcolm Memorial operation, which has also produced four World Juvenile Pipe Band Champions.

“Jack’s impact and his contributions to the band and to the British Columbia pipe band scene cannot be overstated” — SFU Pipe-Major Alan Bevan

In 2013, Jack Lee was awarded an honorary doctorate from Simon Fraser University. Last year, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for services to piping and his community.

“Jack’s impact and his contributions to the band and to the BC pipe band scene cannot be overstated,” Bevan said. “He has been a huge inspiration and mentor to me. Playing alongside and working with Jack over the past 30 years has been a huge highlight of my career, but we know this is not goodbye, and he will continue to play a big role in the organization he has dedicated almost his entire life to.”

His final competitive performance with SFU was at the 2025 World Pipe Band Championships on August 16th, where the band finished fourth overall.

Leading-Drummer Reid Maxwell addressed Jack Lee directly, saying, “It has been an honour and a pleasure playing in the band with you for over 30 years. We have done some amazing things in this great band of ours. It will be a little different looking to my left at the top of the circle and not seeing you there. If there is one thing that does disappoint me in your departure, it is that I am now the oldest member of the band! That aside, I wish you nothing but the best in your future piping endeavours, whatever they may be.”

The 68-year-old Lee will stay with the SFU organization in a non-playing role as Director of the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Bands. He will also serve as treasurer of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band organization.

One of the greatest competitive pipers in history, he reportedly has no plans to retire from solo competition. At the time of the announcement, he was preparing to compete in the Clasp and the Silver Star Former Winners’ MSR at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland.

The leadership move is the latest in the annual post-season series of announcements on pipe band leadership changes. Last week, Grade 1 Police Scotland & Federation Pipe-Major Ewan Henderson announced he was retiring from the band, which is currently looking for a leading-drummer before determining its next pipe-major.