- Date Of Birth: May 22, 1924
- Date Of Death: January 31, 2021
- State: Ohio
Manley L. “Mike” McGee III, age 96, peacefully left a life he forever enjoyed on January 31, 2021, in Cincinnati, OH. Born in Charleston, WV on May 22, 1924 to Rose (Wills) and Manley L. McGee II, he spent most of his life in Columbus, OH, where he was a widely acclaimed architect, and was a candidate for Congress in the 1970’s. He is preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Elizabeth “Bette” McGee (Cummins), Columbus, and one of his six children with Bette, Dennis McGee, Groton, CT. Mike moved to California and remarried in 2004 and is also preceded in death by Helen Sherry, San Diego, CA. He returned to Ohio in 2013 and settled in Cincinnati. Mike is survived by his children Rebecca McGee Holland (Don), Sandpoint, ID; Kevin McGee (Barb), Oshkosh, WI; Michelle McGee McCoy (Alan), Cincinnati, OH; Beth McGee Harden (Dale), West Harrison, IN; and Martha McGee, Columbus, OH; as well as a daughter-in-law, Liz (Maxson) McGee, Groton, CT. Mike also leaves behind 15 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Sgt. McGee was a veteran of WWII, serving in the Army Air Corps in the 483rd Bomber Group in Italy as an aircraft instrument repair specialist. Following his service, Mike graduated from Ohio State University and became a licensed architect. He served as a planning commissioner of Upper Arlington (Columbus) and was twice appointed chairman of the Ohio Board of Building Appeals by former Governor Richard Celeste. Mike was most proud of his designs of St. Christopher Church in Columbus, St. Pius X Church in Reynoldsburg, OH and Immaculate Conception Church in Somerville, NJ; as well as his family’s residence on Middlesex Road in Upper Arlington. In addition to his family, Mike’s passion in retirement was writing, primarily stories about his childhood and experiences in World War II. With his daughter Michelle, he took part in April of 2019 in a tour of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA, as part of the Soaring Valor program. Later in 2019, at the age of 95, Mike hoisted himself up into the belly of a restored B-17 bomber, the type of aircraft he helped maintain during the war. Mike’s family offers our most sincere gratitude to his long-time caregiver and close companion, Rae Jean Jones of Cincinnati.
