Zell A. McGee, age 88 passed away September 20. His parents were James (“Spike”) Lloyd McGee and Laura Green Heard (McGee) (later Lambe).
He is pre-deceased by his wife, Rosalind Toy Johnson McGee (1937-2015). He married Roz on June 3, 1961 in Chapel Hill, NC. Their children are Laura McGee, Scott McGee, and Alexandra McGee. Grandchildren are Clara and Lucia McGee (Scott and Diane, parents).
His siblings are Laura Lambe Bernstein, Robert Lambe, Jim McGee, Eddie McGee, and Dave McGee (deceased 2013).
Since 2017 he enjoyed a close and loving relationship with Donna Hart.
Zell grew up in Winston-Salem, NC, and Charleston, WV, with summers in Asheville and Greensboro, NC and Virginia Beach, VA. He graduated from Davidson College in 1957 and the University of North Carolina Medical School in 1961. He did his residency at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, military service at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and completed his Internal Medicine residency and Infectious Diseases training at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. He served on the faculty there until 1982, including a research year in London. He was recruited by the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1981 to be the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He found a calling in teaching bedside medicine to medical students, housestaff and fellows, and he also authored many research papers in infectious diseases. In 1984, he had a stroke and became paralyzed on his left side. Despite this setback, he resumed teaching medical students, won teaching awards, and took joy in photographing petroglyphs and flowers. Even after retiring in 2002, he continued to be active in teaching etiology-based medicine.
Zell and Roz enjoyed over 50 years of marriage, sharing in family life, community service, church leadership, and travel. In 2009, he and Roz moved to Carol Woods, a retirement community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In his final years of receiving daily care from the staff there, he enjoyed sharing witty rapport and getting to know each person. Our family is grateful for the holistic approach and genuine care from the attentive team at Carol Woods.
He was well loved for his philosophical approach to the world, and known for his charm and wit. He was deeply concerned about justice issues in medicine, especially as relate to environmental health and access to care. He loved the outdoors: sailing in his youth, skiing as an adult, and photographing nature in his later years.
He requested his body be donated to medical research. Ashes will be placed alongside Roz’s at Ghost Ranch, a conference center affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, where he found hope and meaningful summer activities after his stroke and for many decades that followed.
A memorial service is expected to occur in at Carol Woods in November.
Donations in his honor may be made either to the National Ghost Ranch Foundation, Attn: Development Office, 280 Private Drive 1708, Abiquiu, NM 87510; or to the Carol Woods Charitable Fund, 750 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.