Dr. Ronald R. McKee

1942 - 2019

ARMA-Dr. Ronald R. McKee, 77, of Arma, Kansas died at 6:42 A.M. Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Mercy Hospital at Joplin, Missouri. Dr. McKee was born January 17, 1942 at Mason City, Washington the son of Roy Ethmer and Mabel Myrtle Laymance McKee. Ron grew up in Green Acres, Washington and graduated from Central Valley High School in Spokane, Washington in the Class of 1960. Ron graduated from Eastern Washington State in Cheney, Washington with a B.S. and M.S. degree and received his doctorate from the College of Engineering at Utah State in Logan, Utah in 1970. Ron married Patricia Louise Taylor in 1962. The couple had four children. They later divorced. He later married Patricia Louise Tassi on August 13, 1984 at Pocatello, Idaho. Mrs. McKee survives at the home. Ron's professional career began with teaching high school in Washington. In 1970 he moved his family to Pittsburg, Kansas where he was the Industrial Arts teacher and director of Off Campus classes at Pittsburg State University. He also taught two years at Frontenac High School. In 1984 Ron moved to Dillon, Montana where he became the Chairman of the Department of Technology and Industrial Arts at Western Montana University. He was employed at Leggett &Platt where was Director of Engineers. He worked for Depco and was owner of the Pop Shop in Pittsburg. He owned Custom Educational Supplies and McKee Fabrication & Toddler Toys. He donated the Toddler toys to area hospitals, Doctors offices, libraries, and most recently the Ol' Yale Pumpkin Patch. Dr. McKee did much civic and academic work serving on the Arma City Council, Frontenac School Board, Consultant for Special Education for Northeast Unified School District #246, Bishop for the LDS Church, working with Boy Scouts (Ron was an Eagle Scout), and many committees and boards. As part of his career he invented many teaching technology modules and wrote many textbooks, technical manuals and educational grants. He loved to travel, attend the family cattle round-up reunions, music, collecting, camping and hunting, gardening, mowing grass, woodworking and his beloved cats Toodles and Blackie. Survivors include his wife, Pat of the home, two sons, Mark (Myrrissa) McKee of Billings, Montana and Steven (Jennie) McKee of Frontenac, two daughters, Shannon Sprenkle of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Meredith Shirey of Sumner, Washington, eighteen grandchildren, twenty-four great grandchildren, a sister, Marilyn Staley of Washington, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant brother. Funeral services will be at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at the Bedene Funeral Home at Arma, Kansas with the Rev. Steve Cole officiating. Entombment will be at the Pittsburg Garden of Memories Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7 P.M. Tuesday at the Bedene Chapel. The family suggests memorials to the Arma Recreation Program (Ron spent a lot of time renovating the ballparks), David's Toy Project Inc. (Program that donates toys to kids with cancer), and the Pittsburg State University Scholarship Fund. Donations may be sent to or left at the Bedene Funeral Home, 517 E. Washington, Box 621, Arma, Kansas 66712.