Alvin Philip Mee, aged 86, passed away in his home in Diamond Springs, California on Friday, April 6, 2018, after struggling with congestive heart failure. Under the care of Snowline Hospice, he was surrounded by loving family.
Alvin was born on May 27, 1931 in Pasco, Washington, to Floyd and Mary Mee. In his home was already a brother Bill. His sister Susan came later. A resident of Washington state, he left to serve in the Army in 1948. He attended the Army Armor school at Fort Knox and then was sent to serve in the American occupation force in Germany following World War II. Shortly after the Korean War began, he was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant. Returning to Washington state, he attended J.M. Perry Institute studying instrumentation and industrial electronics. In his first job, at Hughes Aircraft Company from 1956-1971, he worked on all nine of the lunar landers. After working at Hughes, he left to volunteer as a telecommunications engineer for the Peace Corps. He spent almost four years (1971-1974) serving in Malawi and his love for that country and the friends he made there lasted his entire life. After his time in the Peace Corps he married Thelma Deputy in 1974, and went to work for Motorola. He traveled around the world for them to work on telecommunications in such places as Colombia, Algiers, and Bangladesh. At one point they worked and lived in Jordan for 16 months.
Alvin and Thelma married later in life, when Alvin was 42. They had been married 18 years when she passed away. Alvin met his second wife, Terry Payton, when they were attending Gold Country Baptist Church in Shingle Springs, California. They were married December 3, 1994. A devoted Christian, during their 23 year marriage, Alvin enjoyed their continued involvement with their church and the Gideons. He also enjoyed time spent visiting with his large extended family. He traveled to Hawaii three or four times with Terry, indulging in his love of Hawaiian shirts. Together they also traveled the country with, and to see, grandchildren. On one trip he was even able to point to a Lunar Lander in the Smithsonian and say, "I put my hands on that!"
Alvin is survived by his wife, Terry Mee, his stepchildren Karen Prescott, Leonard Payton, Lorna Johnston, Wendy Payton, Maureen Keil, and Brenda Milam, as well as a niece, Erin Justus, sixteen grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and five great nieces and nephews, one predeceased, and eight great-great nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at Gold Country Baptist Church, 3800 N. Shingle Rd., Shingle Springs, California. Alvin will be interred at Westwood Hills Memorial Park in Placerville, California. Memorial donations may be made to Gideons International, online at https://www2.gideons.org/donate or by mail to P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251. The family invites you to view the beautiful video they have created to celebrate Alvin's life. You may view it at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1imaFy5KVezIel7oqcZdk17YyKbV_tBe1/view?usp=sharing.
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