Nov. 2 Obituaries

Tommy McGee

Services: 10 a.m. Wednesday at Wheeler Mortuary Chapel in Portales.

Tommy McGee, 87, of Portales, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at the VA Hospital in Amarillo.

He was born on March 21, 1917, in Sulfur Springs, Texas, to Margaret and Flavy McGee.

He moved from Wink, Texas, to Portales when he was a young boy. He married Belle McCall in 1936. He was working as a meat cutter when he was drafted in March of 1941. He and his brother, William, were sent to the Philippine Islands as part of the 200th Coast Artillery unit in World War II. The unit was captured by the Japanese army on April 9, 1942. He was a survivor of the Bataan Death March and was held in a Japanese prison camp for the remainder of the war. His brother died a short time before they were liberated.

He married Nadine McCabe on March 2, 1946, in Roswell. He was a rancher in the Elida area. He was a member of the Elida Methodist Church, the Elida Lion’s Club, the American Legion, the VFW and the New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association. He married Cookie Standefer in May 2000.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, William Douglas McGee; two sisters, Lillian Gray and Tressie Wilson; and by his wife, Nadine McCabe McGee.

Survivors include his wife, Voncile “Cookie” McGee of Portales; three sons, Buck McGee (and wife, Susie) of Riverside, Calif., John McGee (Linda) of Silver City, and James McGee (Cyrena) of Ruidoso; a daughter, Betty Price (Sid) of Elida; five stepchildren and their families; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

The Rev. Galen Isaacs will officiate the services.

Burial will be at Elida Cemetery, with military honors.

Pallbearers are Sammy Standefer, Wendell and Monty Best, Jim Bob Nuckols, Billy Neece, and Austin Hale.

Honorary pallbearers are John L. Johnson, Irvin Butler and Homer Hobbs and other area Bataan Death March Survivors.

Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.