J. Edward McKee, 96

July 28, 2014

J. Edward McKee, 96, passed away on Monday, July 28, 2014, at Brethren Village in Lancaster. He was predeceased in 2008 by his wife, Betty Jane Harrison McKee, with whom he had celebrated 66 years of marriage.

Born in Germantown, Ohio in 1917, he was the son of the late Dennis G. and Lulu McKee. He grew up in Preble County, Ohio, graduated from Lanier High School in 1934, and then served in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s. He joined the Boeing Company in 1939 and worked for them until 1984, with two years out for service in the army during World War II. During the war in Vietnam in the late 1960s, Eddie and Betty spent a year in Japan while he set up the Boeing Vertol maintenance facility for helicopters coming out of Vietnam.

A master craftsman, Eddie enjoyed woodworking and built numerous examples of museum-quality tables, blanket chests, clocks and other items. An enthusiastic fisherman, he hand-crafted many fly-fishing poles, and as an avid gardener, he served as a Master Gardener for the Landis Valley Farm Museum where he especially enjoyed working with heirloom seed varieties of different types.

Eddie is survived by two sons, Michael B. McKee, husband of Carmen McKee of Elizabethtown, Thomas E. McKee, husband of Susan McKee of Lacey, WA; three grandsons, Guian A. McKee, husband of Joanna R. Vondrasek of Charlottesville, VA, Derek C. McKee, husband of Carol McKee of Santa Cruz, CA, Colin B. McKee, husband of Danielle Naftulin of Menlo Park, CA; one granddaughter, Stephanie C. Monnier, wife of Steven Monnier of Fremont, CA; eight great-grandsons; two former daughters-in-law, Linda Jones McKee of Lancaster and Vicki S. McKee of Carmel, CA.

A graveside service celebrating the life of Eddie will be held at Conestoga Memorial Park, 95 Second Lock Rd., Lancaster, on Friday, August 1, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. Please omit flowers; if desired, contributions may be made in Eddie’s name to the Good Samaritan Fund, Brethren Village, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lancaster, PA 17606.