Richard Lee McKee

Richard Lee McKee was born in the Galloway Memorial Hospital in Anthony, Kansas on June 2, 1951, to Richard ‘Steve’ McKee and Lois M. (Rife) McKee. He joined his older sister, Junea, and later his younger brother, Kerry Dan McKee completed the family of five. He grew up on his family’s farm, just southeast of Anthony. Playing outside with their dog, Shorty, and many friends who came to visit were special times for him.

He was a life-long member of Burchfiel United Methodist Church, located in the Spring Township. Richard was proud of his family’s heritage in that area, and especially proud of the connections that his family shared as he attended Spring Grade School, where he graduated from the eighth grade. Through the Church and Spring School, he made lifetime friends. He especially enjoyed fishing and camping trips with Harold, Mike, and George. Many entertaining stories evolved through those camping trips that he enjoyed sharing with his family.

Bill Powell was his Sunday School Teacher, and we have been told that he asked very in-depth questions during class. When Reverend Little served the Burchfiel Church, Colorado Church Camps in the summer were a big event for the youth and their families, who all drove out. The women cooked meals, while the men taught lessons. Richard used to tell us about a ‘ghost’ at church camp. I wonder who that could have been?

Richard was a proud Anthony Pirate, graduating in the Anthony High School Class of 1969. He was on the first wrestling team for AHS, and eventually earned the nickname ‘Mongolian Stomper’! He also participated in debate, forensics, choir, High Y, and A-Club. It was during this time that his love of classic and antique motorcycles developed. He began restoring them to sell to other enthusiasts. He told stories about experiences he had taking the motorcycles on test drives. One involved chasing the school bus. He also added many new people to his circle of friends during this time.

In the fall of 1969 Richard began his college education at NWOSU in Alva, Oklahoma. While attending NWOSU he was active and served as president of the Campus Players. He always looked forward to the melodramas because he usually played the part of the villain, which he thought was fun; but he also played more serious roles in many plays. He worked to help pay for college for a company that built circuit boards, and mixed chemicals for the railroad. He earned his Bachelor of Science from NWOSU in 1974.

Upon completion of college, Richard began working for Haliburton in western Kansas. That led to a new career for him, and he soon went to work in offshore drilling overseas. His first assignment was in the North Sea. He lived in Great Yarmouth, England, where he took coursework to become a cementing engineer. He helped to build Ekofisk, an offshore oil storage facility for Phillips 66 while there.

He later worked for Dowell-Schlumberger and lived in the Congo while doing offshore drilling and cementing there. He brought a new family member home from the Congo:  an African Gray Parrot, Yo-yo, who spoke French and later English. Yo-yo was very entertaining to everyone.

Valletta, Malta, was his next assignment, and he worked in the desert in Libya in the oilfield while there. Richard enjoyed seeing some of Europe while working overseas but was always happy to see the Great Plains from the plane window when returning to Kansas.

Upon his return to the States, he worked for Hayes Oil Service in Attica, Kansas and farmed with his family.

June 15, 1980, Richard and Toni (Dautel) McKee married in the Burchfiel Church, and together they raised four children:  Tiffani Dawn (Matthew) Lara, their son, Sean Patrick McKee, and daughters Kelly Lynn (Tyler) Robertson, and Katie Lee McKee. Richard enjoyed and protected his family. He would often come home after work and play Horse with the children or recruit them to help him with antique tractor projects or restoring classic cars or trucks. There was always a project going at their farm southeast of Anthony.

Richard and Toni followed their children to sporting and musical activities, 4-H, and other events for many years, and often agreed that it was the best years of their lives, watching their children grow up.

During the 1990’s the Prairie Pullers Tractor Club was started, and he was right in the middle of it! He would purchase antique Allis Chalmers Tractors and pull them out of trees in fencerows, then fix them up just enough to participate in the tractor pulling contests. He had a wall full of plaques (mostly 1st place) from those tractor pulls.

Richard was a contract pumper in the oil field for many years, then began a career as a landman, working for several oil companies, including Union Valley Petroleum, in Enid, Oklahoma, and Chisholm Partners. He was always ready for a challenge and met many interesting people while writing oil and gas leases. He also did some consulting on the side.

He enjoyed the debates at coffee in town in the mornings and made many friends there. He missed going to coffee as his health declined. After battling several health conditions for over 30 years, Richard passed away quietly at the Patterson Health Center Emergency Room on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Junea Louise Clark; and his younger brother, Kerry Dan; uncles: Max Rife, and Floyd Coble; father and mother-in-law, Bill and Pat Dautel; uncle, Richard Peitz; and aunt, Norma Peitz.

He will always be remembered with love by his wife, Toni; children: Tiffani (Matthew) Lara, Sean McKee, Kelly (Tyler) Robertson, and Katie McKee.  Three very special aunts: Donna (Rife) Coble and family, Wilma (Max) Rife and family, and Nancy Peitz and family; brother-in-law, Stephen Clark and family; sister-in-law, TaLana (Sid) Burkholder and family; brother-in-law, Todd Dautel; cousins: Sandy (Betty) Witters and family, Lori Wiedener and family, and Matt (Carolyn) Watkins and family; and grandchildren: Brooke Black, Eric Black, Josh Lara, Chris Lara, and Quitin Lara.

He will also be remembered by his ‘second families’ at Patterson Health Care Center in Harper County, and the Wheatlands Health Care Center in Kingman, Kansas.  He received excellent care at both facilities, and they became part of his extended family.

A graveside inurnment will be held at the Burchfiel (Spring Township) Cemetery on April 5, 2025, at 10:00. Following the graveside a Celebration of Life and luncheon will be held at the Bank of the Plains, at the corner of Main and Bluff, in Anthony. 

Friends may sign the register book from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on April 4th at Prairie Rose Funeral Home in Anthony. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Richard may be made to the Patterson Health Care Center and sent in care of Prairie Rose Funeral Home, 602 E. Main Street, Anthony, Kansas, 67003.