Michael Whiting Magee

Michael Whiting Magee, (82) a long time Livermore CA resident, left for his eternal home on March 12, 2021. He was born August 24, 1938 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to Elizabeth and Francis Magee of Narberth, PA. Active in High School, he participated in rowing, wrestling, and football. Having an interest in science as well, he garnered a Ford Foundation Industrial Arts Award and was a member of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia. He spent summers on his father's sailboat, "Fox" with his mother and brother Ed on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. As a Boy Scout at age 15, he took a cross country train trip to the 1953 Jamboree at Irvine Ranch. It is there where he first fell in love with California. He started his lifelong fire service career as a volunteer fireman at age 16, with the Narberth Fire Company in PA. In 1993 he retired as the Assistant Fire Chief at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in CA He attended West Virginia Wesleyan College where he majored in Chemistry, and was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He finished his college education at the University of Maryland where he minored in Industrial Management and majored in Fire Protection Engineering (the first graduating class of this degree in the nation). He received his Bachelor of Science Degree 1962. The College Park campus volunteer Fire Department is where he called home during his college stay, and he quickly worked up to captain in charge of the department's engine and truck company. For those three years he participated in and even instructed in numerous fire service training programs for the states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. He returned to California after being offered a summer internship at the "Lawrence Radiation Laboratory" in Livermore, as a Fire Protection Engineer. While there, he met his "California gold nugget," Lorraine Hamilton. At the time, she was a teacher at East Avenue School. They were married in August of 1963. In 1964, he took employment with the Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co. at the Nevada Test Site as assistant superintendent in charge of fire prevention. Three years later, he was promoted to Fire Department Executive Officer. He participated in some of the early high expansion firefighting foam tests, conducted in West Virginia and at the University of Maryland, and while at the Nevada Test Site ,he was responsible for coordinating several research studies into the application of high expansion foam in radioactive environments. He developed the design criteria for the first high expansion foam generating system to be installed in a nuclear reactor. He conducted and acted as test director for the first full-scale Halon 1301 Fire suppression system tests involving electronic equipment for the Atomic Energy Commission in February of 1969 and was instrumental in the design and installation of a number of unique Halon 1301 systems, including a full-scale Halon Charging Facility. From 1970-1971 He served as coordinator for the LRL Nevada Tower Halon fire tests and formalized the fire prevention program and initiated the fire protection engineering program for the Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co., Inc. at the Nevada Test Site. He served weekends in the United States Air Force Reserves, as a medical technician and was Honorably discharged after 6 years with the rank of Sergeant. In 1971, he returned to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California as Fire Marshal and leader of the Fire Protection Engineering Group. He was responsible for the fire protection design of the LLNL Super-Block facility and the high energy laser facilities throughout the 1970's. And early 80's Recognizing his vast knowledge, he was asked to be an instructor for fire protection courses at Chabot College. He was instrumental in planning, developing, and teaching the first fire science classes there. He did graduate work at U. C. Berkeley in the area of wildland fire behaviors. He was called upon to do consulting and modeling of fire behavior for the legal community. He was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief at LLNL in 1986. With Livermore Lab Fire he lead multiple Strike Teams to events in the local Bay Area and to greater California wildfire emergencies, in the 1980-1990's. During the Loma Prieta Earthquake freeway collapse (1989), the Oakland Hills Fire (1991), and the Rainbow Fire (1991) his crews saved countless structures and lives. Mike retired in 1993 to become a "Gentleman Farmer" with his son. They provided exclusive hay and oats for discerning buyers. Together they loved working on antique tractors and other mechanical projects. Always interested in weather, he collected official rain totals for Alameda County for many years. He enjoyed working with youth and served as an Advisor for Boy Scouts interning at LLNL and was active in the Alameda County 4-H programs as a project leader in the area of crop management, tractors, and swine from 1975 to 1992. He served as Alameda County Fair volunteer Livestock Barn Manager and Weigh Master from 1986 to 1993. Being part of the Alameda County Fair Junior Livestock Boosters Club, he loved to BBQ with friends and serve tri-tip dinners. Coaching boys and girls, from 1975 to 1982 Livermore Youth Soccer kept him physically active. He and his wife enjoyed traveling after their retirement to watch their daughter sing Opera in various places around the country. Often he enjoyed taking time to read about history, science and collecting tractors. Cruises to New Zealand, Alaska and the Caribbean were special vacations, as well as taking trips to Hawaii and Montana with his family. In his last few years he enjoyed watching TV, especially American Pickers, and the America's Cup sailing races. To his family, he had a special sense of humor. He is deeply missed by them, whom he loved and provided for so well. He battled Alzheimer's Disease with courage and tenacity for over 16 years with help from his family, caregivers; Thomas, Edward and Charlie, former colleagues and friends. Michael (Mike) is survived by his wife, Lorraine, son Edward Magee, (Melissa) daughter Kathleen Magee-Querec, (Kyle) Querec, his grandchildren, Russell and Lena Magee, and his brother Edward Bruce Magee. In his memory, contributions can be made to the "Alameda County Fair Junior Livestock Boosters" Club benefiting the 4-H and FFA. PO Box 3176 Livermore CA 94551 ** A memorial service will be held at the Magee home in April