Michael L. "Mick" McAtee

Michael L. "Mick" McAtee, Lt. Colonel USAF Retired, 82 passed away at 5:20 am on June 21st, 2024 at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul, KS.
Born April 18, 1942 to Harold and Addie (Balfay) McAtee, he was a graduate of St. Paul High School in St. Paul, KS in 1960 and Pittsburg State University. In 1963, he wed Phyllis LaForge on August 17 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Greenbush. He then served in the United States Air Force from February 1966 to June 1986.
Once he graduated Pilot Training in 1967, he became a B-52 pilot stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and an FB-111 pilot at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in New York. He then served as Chief of the strategic systems branch for the Air Force operational test and evaluation center at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He proudly served 3 six-month deployments to Southeast Asia in which he piloted 117 missions. He retired as a heavily decorated Lieutenant Colonel receiving honors such as a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star.
After retiring from the military, Mick returned home to Kansas and raised cattle for 25 years while also working various jobs including Hy-Grade construction and Southeast Kansas Educational Service Center.
He found peace in gardening and faithfully attended the St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul, Kansas.
Mick is survived by his daughter in law: Debra McAtee of Albuquerque, New Mexico
daughter: Toni Martinez and husband Rick, of Parsons, Kansas
son: Dwayne McAtee and wife Linda of Wayne, New Jersey.
grandchildren: Jonathan, Jessica, Kristin, Molly, Amy, Trey and Emma
11 great grandchildren
brothers: Ed, Richard, Dennis and Randy
sisters: Jeanne Theis, Betty Bettega, Kathy Cichon, Nan Bortnick, Donna Renn, and Paula Duling.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis McAtee, his son, Norman McAtee and sisters Patricia Kirby, Francie McAtee, and Margaret McAtee.
Services will be Thursday on June 27, 2024, with the rosary beginning at 9:30 a.m. and funeral mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church, St. Paul, KS. Burial directly follows at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, St. Paul, KS.
Memorials are suggested to go to St Francis Catholic Church of St. Paul, KS or Greenbush Historical Society of Greenbush, KS. These may be sent in care of Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, PO Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.
For information and condolences visit www.forbeshoffman.com.