LILY S. McKEE

McKEE LILY ST. JOHN McKEE Lily St. John McKee, a novelist on the verge of publishing her first book, died on March 19, 2015 at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She was 27. She died of complications from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Ms. McKee touched all of those who knew her with her purity of spirit. Friends and family appreciated her refreshing honesty, fierce loyalty, and ability to live life with dramatic flair. Ms. McKee's novel "Crestfall" will be published this spring. Weaving romance and otherworldly mystery, it involves estranged sisters in a fictional town in maritime Newfoundland. Arriving after a murder, the heroic sister Aria encounters unjust suspicions, a phalanx of evil characters, and werewolves. Possessing special natural powers, Aria must defend the town, its people and surroundings - much as Lily herself was dedicated to helping young people address bullying by peers and protecting precious environments. Ms. McKee got the idea to set her novel in Newfoundland during a trip there in 2010. She traveled widely with her family, most recently visiting Costa Rica, Iceland, Patagonia and Egypt. She was researching a setting for her second novel in small-town Massachusetts. Ms. McKee received an M.F.A. in creative writing in 2013 from the Bath Spa University in England. She earned her B.A. in English and History from Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio in 2011, graduating Cum Laude. Ms. McKee shared a love of animals and theater with her friends and family. She leaves behind her Yorkshire Terrier, Cocoa Bean, and she cherished an earlier dog, Fusilli. Horseback riding was a longtime hobby. While growing up in Washington, Ms. McKee participated in youth programs at the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Shakespeare Theatre Company. She starred as Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at McLean High School in McLean, Va. She is survived by her loving parents, William and Beverly; her siblings Braxton and Lauren; their spouses, Louise and Simon; a nephew, Lofoten; an aunt and uncle, Christopher and Suzanne McKee of Berkeley, California; and several cousins. Services private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Pulmonary & Critical Care at Johns Hopkins: https://secure.jhu.edu/form/pccm. Please specify that the funds be used for ARDS research. Or, donations can be made to a forthcoming scholarship program in her name. Information and a memorial to Lily can be found at www.lilysmckee.com