Brian Francis McGahey, 66, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 1, 2018 at his home in Olathe, Kansas. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 1952 to Robert McGahey, and Estelle (Rouen) McGahey who passed away when Brian was a child. Several years later, Brian’s father married Beatrice (Yager) McGahey who adopted Brian and his siblings and helped to raise the six children.
Brian was raised in Detroit and he spent the best parts of his summers with his siblings and grandparents at Farquhar Lake in Ontario, Canada where he developed his great love for the outdoors. He graduated from Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods, MI and worked briefly in the automotive industry.
He enlisted in the Air Force in 1970, volunteered for international duty, and was sent to Vietnam. He served as a staff sergeant and paymaster on a base closure team in Phu Cat, Pleiku and Cam Ranh Bay. He was later stationed in the Philippines and in England. Brian returned to the U.S. and finished his second enlistment in 1978 in Colorado.
After leaving the service, he stayed in Colorado, and entered into a real estate venture designing and building geodesic domes which were a passion of his. The company relocated to the Truman Lake area near Warsaw, Missouri to develop a community of domes and energy efficient homes called “Good Earth Missouri”. While building this community he was introduced to the woman he would later marry, Sharon Wasson Hubbard and young son Jason who he would proudly raised as his own. They married on December 31, 1983; and in 1985 the birth of their son Ryan completed the family. His 2 sons were his greatest source of pride.
Brian joined the Carpenters and Joiners Union #714, Kansas City, Missouri where, at 35, he was dubbed “the world’s oldest apprentice”. He completed his training and became a journeyman carpenter. The family moved to the Kansas City area where he went to work at the VA Medical Center as a carpenter in the engineering department. He worked at the Kansas City VA Medical Center for 20+ years until his retirement in 2015. He was proud of his work at the VA where his attention to detail and management skills contributed to the care of so many veterans and their families. Brian fondly called the VA Medical Center his “Cheers” place, because, as he always said, “Everybody knows my name.”
Using his carpentry skills, he did volunteer work building wheelchair ramps for the Para Olympics. He also volunteered for Dads Against Diabetes and Stand Down for Veterans. Brian was the guy who would stop to change a tire for a disabled motorist and who hired the unemployed people who knocked on his door asking to do odd jobs for cash.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, and reading the newspaper every single day, sharing articles and fishing reports with his coworkers. He loved a good road trip; traveling to see friends and family as often as he could. Brian had a big heart and an easy smile. He truly was a gentle giant who handled his illness and his death with strength, grace, and humor; and a little Jim Beam.
Brian is survived by his wife Sharon McGahey; their sons Jason Hubbard (Kayla), and Ryan McGahey (Rebecca); siblings Michael (Marilyn), Timothy (Sandra), Margaret McGahey, Thomas (Nancy), Mary (McGahey) Davignon (Larry); and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A Celebration of Life will be held, Thursday, September 13, 2018 from 6-8 pm at McGilley & Frye Funeral Home, 105 E. Loula Street, Olathe, Kansas. Burial will follow on Friday morning, September 14, 2018, 9:00 a.m. at Leavenworth National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you honor Brian by doing something nice for a veteran or your next door neighbor.
