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Francis Lott, one of the key architects of Douglas Coffee County’s unprecedented economic boom that began in the late 1970s and continues to this day, has died after a brief but courageous battle with cancer . He is 87 years old.
It’s hard to put into words the impact Lott had on this community. Since the end of World War II, there has been no more prominent figure in Coffee County than Francis Lott. Rural communities, especially those in the Deep South, have always faced challenges, some of which may seem insurmountable. Lott and a dedicated team of like-minded citizens set out to make Douglas the exception rather than the rule. Their perseverance, ingenuity, creativity and tireless work have put Douglas and Coffee County in the statewide spotlight. He set off a wave of economic prosperity for the community that Coffee County continues to drive.
Lott, a Douglas native who has lived in Amelia Island, Fla., for the past several years, graduated from Georgia Tech in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. After graduation, he served as an officer in the Air Force for five years before returning to Douglas and joining Lott Builders Supply Company.
After nearly 20 years with Lott Builders, Lott formed Lott Properties Inc. and entered the world of real estate development. Lott Properties has become a successful and profitable business for Lott.
As Lott established his career in Douglas, he became involved in local economic development efforts and remained a key figure in business and industrial recruitment for the rest of his life.
In the late 1970s, Lott advocated for the establishment of regulations that would bring industry to Douglas. The gamble paid off, and ultimately, the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce commissioned three additional spec buildings to attract more opportunities to the community. Over the course of his career, Lott has developed projects ranging from apartments to shopping malls, subdivisions, self-storage buildings and more.
Lott also generously provided financial resources. In 2004, he donated $1 million to the Coffee County Community Foundation to establish a local economic development fund. In 1998, he also purchased the old Belk Building in downtown Douglas. Six years later, he completely renovated the building, turning what was once a downtown eyesore into one of Douglas’ most striking structures. He renamed the building “Atrium” and gave the building to the Chamber of Commerce in 2014.
Lott and his wife, Diane, donated a $500,000 scholarship, known as the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholarship, to provide a debt-free education at Georgia Tech to students who cannot afford tuition. Preference will be given to Coffee County students when awarding these scholarships.
He has received numerous awards and honors during his career, including the Dean Griffin Community Service Award from Georgia Tech (2018), the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Georgia Economic Development Association (one of only two people to receive this honor 1), and the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce’s Garland Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award (2019). Lott has served on numerous boards and organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Coffee County Community Foundation and President of the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation. He was also a founding member of Douglas National Bank, a locally owned and operated bank in Coffee County that has grown into one of the community’s most successful financial institutions.
Lott spent more than four decades helping transform his beloved community from a sleepy agricultural county into a lesson in economic opportunity that towns across the state sought to emulate. All told, Lott has directly or indirectly created nearly 4,000 local jobs and provided a path to wealth for thousands of people in the region.
Lott leaves to mourn the passing of his wife Diane; son Jeffrey Lott and wife Joanne; son, Kirby Lott; daughter Mary Jane Brady and husband Mike; stepdaughter Allison Reeves Allyson Reeves Land and husband Ronnie; grandchildren: Andrew Lott, Paige Lott, Jack Brady and Mary Kate Brady; and great-grandchildren Kirby Lott and Scarlett Lott. Funeral arrangements are not yet complete.
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