Thomas Benjamin McKee

Thomas Benjamin McKee, age 90, passed away on June 11, 2026 in Richardson, TX after a number of years suffering with Alzheimer's. He was born Dec. 14, 1935 in New Castle, PA to Captain and Florence McKee. Tom was raised in New Wilmington, PA through high school when he attended New Wilmington High and Mercersburg Academy. After that he continued his education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduating with a BS in Physics in 1958. He then took a job at the National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) in 1958. Most importantly while working there he met the love of his life Lee Handy and they were married in 1959. While working at NASA from 1958 to 1971 he attended William and Mary graduating with a MS in Physics in 1963 and attended Colorado State University graduating with a PhD in Atmospheric Science in 1972. During this time Tom and Lee had 2 children (Benjamin Pollard in 1960 and Catherine Olivia in 1963) Subsequent to his time in school and at NASA he took a job as an assistant professor at the University of Virginia for 1 year. In his time in Colorado Tom had come to love the mountains, weather and fly fishing. So at the first opportunity he returned, taking the State Climatologist of Colorado job in 1974. As this job was just part time it came with an assistant professor position in the graduate department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State as well. With progressions to full professor and department head these jobs lasted, with many publications, awards and honors, until his retirement in 1993.

Tom was wise and thoughtful, loved his family well, enjoyed life, and loved to explore the world around him. Though gentle and humble, he was a born leader and a natural teacher. Over all these years the most important things to Tom were his love for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and his wife Lee and family. He was a devout Christian confident in his love of God and in Christ’s love for him attending a sequence of Anglican churches and serving in multiple volunteer roles helping show others his love of Jesus, the impact of that love, and supporting the church. This same love was evident in his care for others, his wife and family, his church friends, his students, colleagues, and neighbors. He loved to explore the mountains of Colorado, the streams and their native trout by hiking and fly fishing, as well as camping with his family. He found great joy in sharing these activities with his children, grandchildren, and others. Other than fishing, Tom’s favorite sport was basketball which he played through high school and then on various clubs, teams almost his whole adult life. Some favorite entertainment was watching the UNC Tar Heels or CSU Rams play basketball. Additionally, Tom was also a life-long reader. There were always books next to his chair: the Bible, Louis L’Amour westerns and biographies were among his favorites. In later life he read aloud a countless number of books to his wife when her eyesight was failing.

In the last decade of his life, as health began to fail, Tom and Lee moved to Illinois to be near their daughter, Cathy, and her family (husband, Scott, and daughters, Hannah and Melissa), where many years were enjoyed. Tom and Lee found special new friends in Illinois at the senior center where they lived and members of their local church, Grace Anglican Fellowship. In 2026, Tom and Lee made one final move to Texas to be near their son, Ben, and his family (wife, Julie, and daughters, Olivia and Mallory). There, in this final season, Lee continued precious care for her dear husband.

Tom was preceded in death by this parents Captain and Florence McKee and his 2 brothers Bill and Bob.

In lieu of flowers contributions to Alzheimer Research at Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) would be appreciated.

Tom’s funeral will be at the chapel of Christ Church Plano in Plano, TX on July 13 at 10:30 AM. Followed by a reception and then burial at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas TX at 2 PM.