J. David McKee

BRUNSWICK – J. David McKee, 80, of Brunswick, died on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 from a sudden heart attack. He had enjoyed a lifetime of active mental, physical, social, and civic engagement right up until his death.

Dave was born on Saturday, Nov. 7, 1942, in McKeesport, Pa., the first child of Mary Jane Challener McKee and John Lowden McKee. Later, as a student at Princeton High School, he was an avid clarinetist and football tight end. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning a B.A. in Economics, followed by a PhD in Research Psychology and Statistics from Rutgers University.

Dave had many passions: family, music, history, baseball, education, and innovation. He married his wife, Anna Marie Keck in 1978 and enjoyed being a father to son Andrew and daughter Elizabeth – supporting his children in their academic, athletic, and artistic pursuits.

He spent his early career working for ETS, Bell Labs, and others. He was proud of his teamwork in developing educational children’s toys, including the PlayPath line (acquired by Johnson & Johnson). After holding key strategy roles at GE and DuPont, he worked at Polaroid with a dear friend, John Munday, to innovate and commercialize smart cards and biometric technologies. Later, he moved into management consulting, serving cutting-edge companies in various sectors, including 3D printing.

In their retirement, Dave and his partner, Barbara, moved from Philadelphia to Brunswick. They enjoyed getting involved with the local community and formed a circle of wonderful friends. Dave delighted in the antics and development of each of his granddaughters – Annika (13), Ellie (10), and Juliet (6) – making many trips to California over the years. They, in turn, adored “Papa Dave” for his deadpan “grandpa jokes,” unending patience for book-reading and LEGO-building, secret candy stashes, help with school projects, and frequent letter-writing. His sense of humor — silly, witty, and often sardonic when kids weren’t around — will be missed.

He will be fondly remembered wearing a baseball hat (usually the Red Sox; sometimes, the Twins), making quick work of New York Times crosswords, and supporting civics and the arts in his community — while enjoying many cups of coffee, listening to his favorite CDs, and attending live music performances that deeply moved his soul.

Dave is survived by his longtime partner, Barbara Farrell (Brunswick); his son Andrew McKee and wife Kana (Mill Valley, California); his daughter, Elizabeth McKee and husband Aaron Katz (Los Angeles, Calif.); his granddaughters; and his father’s wife, Marilyn McKee (Naples, Fla.).

He was predeceased by his wife, Anna Marie; mother, Mary Jane, father, John; and younger brother, Joseph McKee.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 11 at Living Hope Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Brunswick. For those unable to attend, an audio recording will be posted to the website of Stetson’s Funeral Home: http://www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements are by Stetson’s Funeral Home, 12 Federal St., Brunswick, where condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family at http://www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the following organizations that Dave supported and loved:

1) Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick (www.bowdoinfestival.org/support/), which combines professional summer concerts with educational programs for conservatory students, and

2) Una Voce Chamber Choir, a Maine-based semi-professional choir where Dave served on its Board of Directors (www.unavocechamberchoir.org).