Richard L. (Dick) McGee

Richard L. (Dick) McGee, 83, of Mesa, AZ,  died June 27, 2023 at his  home in Mesa, Arizona.

Born January 7, 1940, in Scottsbluff, NE, Richard was the son of Robert E. "Mac" McGee and Dorothy (Pullen) McGee of Bayard, NE.  He grew up in Bayard and graduated from Bayard High School in 1957. He married Barbara L. Isaacs October 25, 1962, in Dix, NE.

Richard was a teacher and a school administrator in the Panhandle region for more than 30 years. He taught at Dix and was a school principal at Dix, Kimball, and Lusk, WY.  He taught at Chadron State College for several years and received a national award for his directorship of the Panhandle Educational Resources Center (PERC), a highly regarded Panhandle-wide multi-media distribution system of teaching and media materials available to every school in the Nebraska Panhandle. He also taught at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, WY.

Mr. McGee received three college degrees – bachelors, masters, and educational specialist – from Chadron State College. He also attended Kearney State College, University of Nebraska, Columbia University in New York City, and University of Wyoming.

In addition to his education career, Dick was a writer. He started writing for the Bayard Transcript when he was in the seventh grade. He continued this job throughout high school and covered sports and wrote a weekly column called "High School Happenings."  He continued news and sports writing during the two years he attended Scottsbluff Junior College, when he worked for the Star-Herald and later for KSTF-TV in Scottsbluff. He was also a writer for the Fort Collins Triangle Review, Torrington Telegram, Sports Arizona, and DMI Publications.

He was an active leader in youth sports in Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona.  He was a leader in the development of the first organized youth baseball program in Bayard, in 1960.

Richard was a member of the Society for American Baseball  Research, National Education Association, Baseball Writers of America, Phi Delta Kappa, Cosmopolitan International,  Red Mountain United Methodist Church in Mesa, and several other education and sports associations.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara McGee, of Mesa, AZ; a daughter, Richa (David) Perkins, of Chadron NE; a son, Kevin (Sarah) McGee of Corona, CA; six grandsons, Robert Perkins of Chadron, NE; Brandon Perkins of Omaha, NE; Ryan McGee, Kyle McGee, and Luke McGee of Corona, CA; Thaddeus McGee of Topeka, KS; and one granddaughter, Lainey Mae McGee of Corona, CA.  

He is also survived by his brother, John (Donna) McGee of Gillette , WY  along with several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mac and Dorothy McGee; and his son, Dr. Deron L. McGee, of Lawrence, KS

The body has been cremated. Interment of cremains will be at a memorial graveside service to be held on July 13, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bayard Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Chadron State College Foundation, 1000 Main St., Sparks Hall, Chadron, NE 69337-2667, in memory of Richard McGee.