Memories of Gary Brown McKee

In memory of

Gary Brown McKee

Big Pine Key, FL, USA

December 16, 1936 - July 23, 2020

Dec 16, 1936 - Jul 23, 2020

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Lou Ortega

Hello💟Uncle Gary.

Love and miss you🥰💟

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Kristen Mckee

I miss you so much Dad. 😢

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Judy Ortega

Hello Dear Uncle 🙏 Gary.
Thinking of you and missing you this month and always.
A bit tough missing Lou and Mom Gram and now Uncle Bob. Love always ✝️ Heaven must make you ‘have a great day’. 🙏 Love.

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Judy Ortega

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Comments:

Elizabeth LaBoone

Thank you Judy. We hope you are doing well and sorry you couldn’t attend the Celebration of Life. You were... Read more Thank you Judy. We hope you are doing well and sorry you couldn’t attend the Celebration of Life. You were missed. We appreciate... Read more Thank you Judy. We hope you are doing well and sorry... Read more

Judy Ortega

Hello in Heaven Dear Gary. I love and miss you so much. My heart misses you Uncle. I am happy that your love and faith in God has brought you into the arms of Gram Mom Dad Wayne RJ and my Lou along with your family and friends that you cherish. Love you Jude.

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Comments:

Elizabeth LaBoone

Allen Pinkley

There is so much about Gary that I'll miss. But I think the biggest thing is he would do as much as he could, and probably a little more than he should have, to help the scouts and then wish he could do more. When he was committed he was definitely "All in". I don't know any other 80+ year old that volunteered to be a Cubmaster.

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Elizabeth LaBoone

Comments:

Elizabeth LaBoone

Allen, this makes me smile. He was not really one who would do things halfway. Thank you , what you wrote... Read more Allen, this makes me smile. He was not really one who would do things halfway. Thank you , what you wrote was special to us.... Read more Allen, this makes me smile. He was not really one ... Read more

LAWRENCE HRIBAR

To the family of Gary McKee:

It is difficult to put into words what Gary meant to those of us who knew him in his Boy Scout roles. I will try, but anything that I write will fall short.

I first met Gary back in 1998 or 1999 when I had just started working for the (then) Monroe County Mosquito Control District and Gary was the park manager at Bahia Honda State Park. He retired and we lost contact for a few years. As my sons got more involved with Scouting, so did I. Lo and behold, whom did I meet again? Gary.

Everyone needs a mentor, a role model, someone they can look up to and try to emulate. For me, that person was Gary McKee. Gary had a long and distinguished Scouting service record. He started with his own family in the Greater New York Councils, and continued on in the former Sunnyland Council (now part of Southwest Florida Council) and then here in South Florida Council. He was variously a Troop Committee Member, Cubmaster, Unit Chaplain, Roundtable Commissioner, District Commissioner, District Training Chair, Associate Chapter Adviser (Nok Su), and merit badge counselor, among other positions that I forgot. Gary was a Brotherhood Member of O-Shot-Caw Lodge #265 Order of the Arrow. Gary was also a member of Buccaneer District's Eagle Scout Board of Review. Gary was a four bead Woodbadger. That means he'd graduated from the course, served as a staff member, then served as course director.

Gary had been a radioman in the Coast Guard, and he wore the "MORSE" interpreter strip on his Scout uniform - one of the rarer ones, to be sure. Something that few people knew about Gary: when the BSA National organization decided to create a new merit badge, Signs, Signals, and Codes, Gary was invited to be a member of the nationwide committee that wrote the requirements and instructional material for the badge.

Gary and I often rode together to attend the South Florida Council Program Committee meetings. We'd leave at around 4:30 PM and still usually didn't arrive until 7:45 PM - 15 minutes late! We had many interesting and important discussions on those trips. I will always treasure the time we spent together. When we returned to Marathon, Gary never forgot to tell me to say hello to my wife and children. He really liked all of them.

Among Gary's many Scouting awards were the District Award of Merit (service above and beyond at the district level), Silver Beaver (service above and beyond at the council level), and the Silver Conch Award (Buccaneer District in-house award for exceptional service). Nok Su Chapter presented Gary with the first ever Soaring Seagull Award (exceptional service to the chapter), the Pack Trainer Award, and the Arrowhead Award for commissioners. He had more awards, that I don't recall right now.

Gary always took an interest in my sons' progress in Scouting and in life. He always asked about my wife and daughter. Gary was a true friend in every sense of the word. Until we meet again, friend.

Larry Hribar and family
Marathon, Florida

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Elizabeth LaBoone

Comments:

Elizabeth LaBoone

Larry thank you so much for this thoughtful, well written tribute to my Dad. We really appreciate your kind... Read more Larry thank you so much for this thoughtful, well written tribute to my Dad. We really appreciate your kind words. Larry thank you so much for this thoughtful, well written... Read more