John Thomas McGee, 85, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, died in Kensington, Maryland on February 14, 2021. He was born on April 25, 1935 in Decatur, Alabama to Martha Thelma (Chenault) and Thomas Epham McGee, and grew up in Florence, Alabama.
John graduated from Coffee High School and the University of North Alabama, where he majored in mathematics. He attended graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, Emory University and New York University. John attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy serving in technical positions to support nuclear weapons and missile operations.
He had a long career in information technology beginning as a marketing representative for IBM. John worked for SIAC, a subsidiary of the New York Stock Exchange, and then joined Glaxo to head up their information technology division. He served as CIO for AT&T Universal Card Services, and as an executive in several early-stage technology companies in North Carolina.
John was an active member of the Chapel of the Cross and served as Treasurer of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. An avid golfer, John was a member of the Chapel Hill Country Club where he served as president of the senior men’s golf association. He also enjoyed fly fishing and his annual fishing trip to Pennsylvania. He served on the NC Governor’s Information Technology Council and the advisory board of the NC Super Computer Center. John received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of North Alabama.
He married Rosemary Clifford in Columbia, South Carolina and they subsequently lived in Miami, Florida; Princeton, New Jersey; and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They enjoyed travel, bridge and euchre clubs, and spending time with family, especially at the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
He is survived by his children, Elizabeth McGee Weaver (David) of Silver Spring, Maryland; Katherine McGee (Mike Hoey) of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; Martha McGee (Patrick Irvine) of Oak Park, Illinois; Thomas McGee (Stacy) of Ashburn, Virginia; and grandchildren, Abby Weaver, Clifford Weaver, George Hoey, Anna Hoey, Zoë Irvine, Margaret Irvine, Cary Irvine, Ginny McGee and Owen McGee.
He was preceded in death by his wife Rosemary of 56 years, and his parents.
A memorial service will be held at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill later this year.
Donations may be sent in his memory to: the Chapel of the Cross (https://www.thechapelofthecross.org/) and/or University of North Alabama https://www.una.edu/.
