Harold Crawford McBee

Services will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2542 G Road.

Survivors include his wife, Susan; two sons, Brian of Centerville, Ohio, and Rick of Montrose; three daughters, Shelly Alford and Rebecca Weitzel, both of Grand Junction, and Sarah Fisher of Carmel, Ind.; one brother, Donald of Grand Junction; two sisters, Patricia Backes of Grand Junction and Coleen McBee of Mesa, Ariz.; 24 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Harold C. McBee

May 21, 1940 - January 11, 2014

Even though Harold entered into this world ""a little six pound skinny baby with black hair all over him,"" and not as the girl he was supposed to be, he left it deeply loved and admired by all of his family, including his wife, Susan, his five children, Brian, Shelly, Rick, Rebecca, and Sarah, and especially his 24 beloved grandchildren.

Born to Woody and Mildred McBee in Holyoke, Harold lived a carefree childhood. When he, his big brother, Don and their two little sisters, Pat (Backes) and Coleen (McBee) weren't begging chocolate cake from their Grandma McBee, they were roaming the hills with homemade bows and arrows, rubber band guns, and hand-crafted swords.

A hard worker, Harold got his first job at age eight, delivering milk. He went on to bottle milk at the dairy, fill root beer floats at the A&W, and haul coal at the local mine. After graduating Rifle Union High School, he attended Western State College for a year before enlisting in the U.S. Army , serving in Italy for two and one half years as a missile technician.

On leave from the Army, Harold met his blue-eyed, blond-haired dream girl, Susan Robinson. One blind date and one kiss later, Susan knew he was the man she wanted. Harold and Susan were married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City LDS temple.

Harold was a dedicated math teacher at GJHS for 33 years, a spiritual leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a senior humanitarian missionary in Thailand, and most especially a faithful husband of 50 years, a devoted father, and a doting grandpa. He lived every minute of his life for the ones he loved.

After nine years of enduring the frustrations from a debilitating stroke, Harold is finally free. He was deeply respected by students, family, friends, and neighbors. Because of his example, many will make the earth a better place simply by remembering him.

Memorial Services will take place January 18th, 9:00 a.m. at the LDS Church, 2542 G Rd.

Published in The Daily Sentinel on Jan. 16, 2014