CHARLES DUNN MCKEE

Born: June 26, 1940
Died: December 8, 2014

Charles McKee was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, son of Elliot Bates McKee '26 and Katharine Stinson Pillsbury McKee. Charlie came from a multi-generation Yale family. In addition to his father, 2 grandfathers, 2 uncles, and his older brother, Elliot Bates McKee, Jr. '55, all graduated from Yale. Charlie prepared for Yale at St. Paul's.

Charlie was a member of Branford College where he was on the hockey and golf teams. He was a French major, and a member of the French Club. He was also active in Zeta Psi and the Young Republicans. Charlie was captain of the Charities Drive in 1961 and earned his numerals in cross-country.

The week before graduation in June 1962, Charlie married Nina Truslow, sister of classmate Hank Truslow, beginning a life-long union which produced 3 children and 4 grandchildren.

After Yale Charlie attended graduate school at Harvard. He then commenced a career in banking, first with Citibank in New York and then, in 1971, relocating to Brunswick, Maine with Casco Northern Bank. In 1982 he joined Tucker Anthony now RBC Wealth Management as a Financial Advisor. He continued to serve his clients as a Senior Vice President with no plans for retirement until the time of his death.

"He loved his career," his family wrote, "because of the opportunity it provided for him to help others."

Throughout his life, Charlie served in many community service roles. He was past President of the Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Brunswick-Topsham Military Council, former Director of the Brunswick United Way, former Director of the Prouts Neck Country Club, a Trustee of the Portland Museum of Art, and a member of the Rotary Club for over forty years.

Charlie was particularly passionate about building educational opportunities for future generations. He served as a trustee of Hyde School in Bath, Maine, a member of the St. Paul's School alumni executive committee, a trustee and board member of the School for Field Studies, and an active member of the Yale Alumni Association. Charlie and Nina endowed a scholarship at Bowdoin College and the McKee Scholarship for the School for Field Studies.

In addition to his commitment to financial advising and to community service, Charlie will be remembered by friends and family for his love of golf and his wonderful camaraderie on the course. He was a member of many clubs, including at the time of his death, Biddeford Saco Country Club (Maine), Old Tabby Links (Spring Island, South Carolina), and Prouts Neck Country Club (Maine). In 1998, Charlie was honored to become a member of the United States Senior Golf Association. He was also a member of the New England Golf Association and the Threescore and Ten Golf Association. For many years, Charlie served as chairman of the Prouts Neck Country Club greens committee, and he was on the Old Tabby Links Golf Committee.

Charlie had many other interests as well. He was an avid skier - at Sugarloaf since 1972. "He loved nothing more than catching the first run on Tote Road or Gauge, and at the end of the day visiting with friends in The Bag of Gepetto's," his family said. Always passionate about art, Charlie began to paint a few years ago, and he could frequently be found in his studio working on his painting. He was an enthusiastic member of the art communities at Spring Island and at The Cypress in Hilton Head.

In the past ten years, Charlie and Nina split their time between Scarborough, Maine and Spring Island, South Carolina.

Charlie was an active and loyal Yale alumnus. He served as AYA representative for Southern Maine. He and Nina were regular attendees and participants at our reunions and he was a frequent class fundraising agent.

The family prepared an obituary which captured his spirit and his love:

Charlie will be most remembered for his deep loyalty and love for family and friends. He was a loving partner and a devoted father and grandfather, who delighted in spending time with his children and grandchildren and celebrating and supporting all of life's occasions. Even in the last weeks when cancer was taking its toll, Charlie's thoughts were for his family and friends. He had a wonderful smile and laugh and an incredible joie de vivre. A more optimistic person could not be found. Charlie's spirit will carry on in his family, especially in the unwavering love of his wife Nina with whom he shared more than fifty years.

In addition to his wife, Charlie is survived by his children: Nina Carter McKee and her fianc‚ Seth Morton of Washington, Virginia, Charles Dunn McKee, Jr. and his husband Joseph Hamilton of Toronto, Canada, Heidi Auchincloss McKee (Yale 1992) and her husband James Porter of Oxford, Ohio, and his daughter-in-law Betsy Ring of Charlottesville, Virginia. He is survived by his four grandchildren - Nina Thomas McKee, Aidan Ring McKee, Lily Yacubian McKee, and Sean McKee Porter - and by many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Charlie was pre-deceased by his brother, Philip W. McKee and Elliot Bates McKee, Jr., '55.

The family suggested that donations in Charlie's memory be made to St. Paul's School, the School for Field Studies or Yale.