Jewel Chester McKee, Jr., of Louisville, CO died on June 7, 2016. Born in Madison, WI, on November 4, 1923, Chester was the only child of Jewel Chester McKee, Sr., and Carolyn Ezell McKee. A consummate storyteller with an incredibly keen memory for details, Chester was known and loved for his generous, loving spirit, his ability to enjoy a good laugh and live life to the fullest. He was an avid visionary and educator at the local, state and national level, and he felt strongly that every brain in the United States should be educated to its highest level.
The son of a Botany professor, Chester spent his childhood on the campus of Mississippi State University, where he gained a lifelong love of learning. His first job was as an engineering officer for the US Navy during WW II. While in the Navy, he completed a degree in Electrical Engineering through studies at both Tulane University and Mississippi State University.
He served in the Navy until February 5th, 1946. Two days later, he returned to Mississippi State University, where (still dressed in his Navy uniform) he became an instructor. He later earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He spent a long and distinguished career in academia at Mississippi State, where he ultimately became Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. He retired from MSU in 1979 as a vice president emeritus, and he spent the next 10 years at the National Academy of Sciences as Director of Associateships and Fellowships. Despite his many career accomplishments, he liked to recall that he never actually applied for a job, and all of his opportunities came looking for him.
Following the devastation from Hurricane Camille in 1969, Chester was personally recruited by the Mississippi governor to chair the Governor’s Emergency Council for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He worked to include a diverse group of task force members, and he was instrumental in the adoption of the federal 1970 Disaster Relief Act.
Chester was an influential educator at the national level through his work as Chair of the National Council of Graduate Schools, and he was an original organizer of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, for which he later served as President.
Chester married the late Rachel M. Magruder on August 30, 1947, in Starkville, MS. They had four children, Will George, Katie, and Chris, before she died in 1968 at the age of 43. Chester married Barbara J. Sims on November 1, 1969, and they had a daughter, Margaret. Chester loved boats, science, fishing, traveling, beaches, writing, storytelling, and spending time with friends and family. He was the author of Campus Brat, and From Slide Rules to PC’s, 100 Years of the College of Engineering, Miss. State University.
Throughout his life, Chester was active in the Presbyterian Church, and he had a deeply held faith. He served as Elder in three different churches in Mississippi and Virginia.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Barbara; as well as his five children: Will McKee (Tricia) of Norfolk, VA; George McKee (Andrea) of Louisville, CO; Katie McKee Ertz (Doug) of Boulder, CO; Chris Handler (Brett) of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; and Margaret McKee Cooper (Joel) of Lafayette, CO. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Erin McNutt (Larry) of New Orleans, LA; Rachel Robertson (Mitch) of Huntsville, AL; Nathan Ertz (Connie) of Westminster, CO; Rachel Ertz of Cordova, AK; Evan Handler and Scott Handler, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Caroline McKee and Natalie McKee of Louisville, CO; Henry McKee of Norfolk, VA; and Aidan McKee Cooper and Sarah McKee Cooper of Lafayette, CO. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren: Tai McNutt, Ana McNutt, and Conan Ertz.
Services will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Starkville, MS, at 10:30 AM on June 25. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The J. Chester McKee Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University.
Memorials may be made through the Mississippi State University Foundation and designated for the Dr. J. Chester McKee, Jr., Memorial Fund. Commitments may be made online at www.msufoundation.com or checks payable to the MSU Foundation Inc. may be mailed to P. O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762.