Obituary of Shirley McGee

Shirley Jean (Courrier) McGee passed away on August 4, 2021 at Boone Hospital Center at the age of 86.

She was born September 30, 1934 in Moberly, MO to Russell Lee Courrier and Thelma Irene (Dowdy) Courrier.

 

On November 29, 1958 she married Melvin Milo McGee in Moberly, MO and they celebrated 56 years together at the time of his death on November 1, 2014. Attendants at their wedding were her very best friend, Joann Glaser and fiancé, Donald “Dody” Kessler.

 

There were two children born of the marriage; Michael Wayne McGee of California, MO and Tracie Lee (Chris) Brandow of Olathe, KS.

 

In addition to her two children, Shirley is survived by her granddaughter, Meghan Michelle Hamline of California, MO. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

 

Shirley graduated from the lower division of Moberly Junior College in 1952 and attended classes at the college on a scholarship until accepting a full-time secretarial position with the law firm of Hunter, Chamier & Motley in Moberly in 1953 where she was employed for 13 years. Then in April of 1966 she started part time as a Secretary and Office Manager for Kenneth H. Dickson, later as his Administrative Assistant in the real estate division of Westlake Hardware, Inc., while also continuing her work part time at the law firm until 1969. She held the position at Westlakes's until her retirement in 1997, after which she was self-employed until her final official retirement in September of 2013, ten days prior to her seventy-ninth birthday.

 

In addition to her husband and her parents, she was preceded in death by three sisters, Rosalie Ann Courrier, Betty Carlin, and Lea Elsberry.

 

After retirement, Shirley enjoyed reading, computer games, and the annual family week-long vacations, traveling primarily to the Ozarks, Florida, Branson, and also to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the celebration of their 50^th Wedding Anniversary.

 

 She has been a member of the First Baptist Church in Moberly since 1950 and was very active in many of the church programs in her earlier years. Shirley was a charter member and the first Recording Secretary of the Moberly Chapter of ABWA. She was also a member of Women of the Moose Moberly Chapter 1280 since 1983.

 

Inurnment will be Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. with her husband at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Jacksonville, MO with Jim Bolin officiating. There will also be a visitation with the family at Pathway Memorial Funeral Home in Moberly at 12:00 noon prior to leaving for Jacksonville.

 

Condolences may be shared online at pathwaymemorial.com.