Rex McRee

Rex McRee, South Glastonbury, Connecticut, left a permanent Rex-shaped hole in the world on November 30, 2024, at age 59, following a too-short fight with esophageal cancer aggravated by chronic Lyme disease. Born in March 1965 in Las Cruces, Rex grew up in New Mexico, California, and Colorado. His mechanical aptitude and independent streak were clear from an early age: At 3, he "painted" his family's house, executing his artistry in the wee hours of the morning before his parents could intervene; by 4, he'd disassembled his dad's motorcycle as it sat in the garage; and as a teenager, he'd remove his car engine for repairs after work and reinstall it each morning to drive to school. Never one to suffer boredom, Rex's early professional endeavors included everything from painting bridges and installing ductwork to being a pro-level ski tuner, dolphin rider at Sea Life Park, part-time arborist, product engineer at Martin Marietta, and project manager for Lockheed Martin. Since 2000, Rex worked for HPE and SGI, living in Connecticut and Australia while troubleshooting high-performance computer systems and mostly keeping his cool. In 2010, he and Karen were proud to build and found SoG Coffee, bringing together an extraordinary community that was central to Rex's life.

Rex's love of the outdoors translated to countless adventures and accomplishments. He served as Scoutmaster of Troop 540 of the Boy Scouts of America from 2005-2011, earned a Leave No Trace Master Educator Certification, completed the Bataan Memorial Death March, and - to friends' occasional dismay - carried out many successful Sasquatch impersonations. Rex loved birdwatching, fly fishing, skiing, boogie boarding, photography, backpacking, and camping, spending many summer and winter nights sleeping tentless under the stars. He was always planning his next motorcycle adventure, enjoying two-wheeled trips across Nova Scotia, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Pennsylvania, and beyond. He loved music - favorites included Oingo Boingo, The Cure, Talking Heads, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Specials, Los Lobos, and Los Lonely Boys - as well as pop tarts, ice cream, donuts, pie, and a great cup of coffee. Rex will be best remembered for his free spirit (he avoided planning anything that didn't involve motorcycles or the outdoors), generosity, dry but healthy sense of humor, strong sense of justice, and prodigious physical and moral strength. He'd probably be happy if we picture him riding off on yet another motorcycle adventure, fishing rod and coffee in tow, wearing a pair of Vans and that eternal smirk.

Rex is survived by daughter Kelsi Gonzalez, son-in-law Christopher Gonzalez, grandson Adrian, partner Susan Hanson, sister Robin McRee, brother John McRee, life-long partner-in-crime Karen McRee, stepmom Connie McRee, nephews Oren and Nick McRee, and legions of great friends he made throughout his life. As one friend put it, Rex's friendship was "golden" to the end. He is preceded in death by son Ryan McRee, dad Garry McRee, and mom Mary Zimmerman. A memorial will be held for the local community at 11:30am on Thursday, December 12, at the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury (949 Main Street). Rex's family is also planning a small celebration of life for out-of-towners at a TBD date/location in March 2025, the month Rex would've turned 60. In lieu of flowers, we welcome donations to either Boy Scouts of America, Trout Unlimited, or Adrian's college fund (contact Kelsi c/o SoG).