RAPID CITY | Francis "Frank" Edward McGee was born Oct. 22, 1930, and passed away in his home on June 23, 2018, four months shy of his 88th birthday.

Frank was a graduate of Scranton University with a degree in Chemistry and he obtained his MBA from Drexel University. Frank enjoyed a 35-year career in the pharmaceutical industry with Merck & Co. In 1973, during a family vacation from Pennsylvania to the Midwest, Frank and the family made a stop in The Black Hills – an instant connection for him and Betty. In 1974, Frank accepted a District Manager role with Merck and a welcomed opportunity to make Rapid City their new home.

Amidst his work and family life, his true passions were music, woodworking, and The Black Hills. He served the Blessed Sacrament community in music ministry, as a lector and an active participant in many ecumenical services. Music and laughter were a constant in Frank's life. In his youth, Frank played saxophone and lead a band for a group that played weekend dances and gigs. His dad was a craftsman who made wooden-handled tools until his premature death when Frank was a high school sophomore. Basketball and his high school coach were where Frank found refuge and a father-figure. Early hardships sharpened Frank's gift of wit as an effort to diffuse tension or stressful situations. He preferred cracking a quick joke and provoking laughter over somber circumstances.

Frank was an avid reader and writer, and as many of you Journal readers know, he could also be a bit outspoken with his many letters to the editor. He also authored three books that he self-published as memoirs and gifts to his family. His writing captured family history. Frank's wife and family weren't sure how to interpret his first book when he titled it, I Shudda been a Eunuch; a Treatise on Family Life and Raising Kids. Frank was also a proud member of the Hay Camp Woodcarvers, serving the group in various capacities. He leaves behind several pieces of handmade wood furniture, numerous paintings, drawings, and many wonderful wood carvings. Birds were his favorite inspiration. Frank loved to share stories about the things he cherished most in his life - his wife and family, his work and colleagues, and his carving club family. As patriarch, his family referred to Frank as "Leading Stallion". It was time for this wonderful old horse to go out to pasture and be reunited with his loving wife, Betty.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; and the love of his life and wife of 47 years, Elizabeth "Betty" Demidio McGee.

Frank and Betty are survived by their five adult children: Christine (David) Harming, Sioux Falls, Sean McGee, Denver, Francine McGee, Chicago, Elisa McGee, Seattle, and Kevin McGee, Rapid City; Frank is also survived by his grandchildren: Jennifer (Nathan) Miller, Nicole Harming, Gill Biesold-McGee, and Rainen Bonham; and great-grandchildren: Manon, Remy, Briar, Samare, Callum, Zaiden, Nova, and Solomon.

Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 30, at Blessed Sacrament Church, followed by a luncheon reception in the church reception hall.

In keeping with the spirit of one of Frank and Betty's community support efforts, Memorial funds may be donated to the Cornerstone Rescue Mission to feed those in need at P.O. Box 2188, Rapid City, SD 57709.