Ann McKee

Ann Dell Steele McKee, the ninth child of the late Claude and Mary Jane Campbell Steele, was born on March 27, 1928 in Harmony, North Carolina. She departed this life on April 17, 2016 after a brief illness. She received her early education in the Iredell County, North Carolina public school system. Upon high school graduation, she attended North Carolina A & T College in Greensboro, N.C., where she met her husband of 61 years, Johnnie. She graduated from A&T with a degree in Education. Upon moving to Baltimore in the early 1950s, she worked as a secretary to a prominent black lawyer in Baltimore, and then as Assistant to the President of Coppin State Teachers College, where she eventually was promoted to Registrar. While working full-time at Coppin, Ann took courses at night, earning a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Loyola University in Baltimore, and then taking 30 hours of classes beyond the Master’s requirement. Ann next served as a teacher and guidance counselor at Western High School, Walbrook High School and Northwestern High School, from which she retired in 1982. She enjoyed her work with students because she made it possible for many young people to continue on to higher education. An avid reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast, Ann enjoyed doing artsy/crafty projects around the home, like crocheting, staining furniture and rearranging our living spaces. She loved hosting Christmas parties for her co-workers and enjoyed decorating the house to a Christmas tee. Serving God through Heritage United Church of Christ was a major part of her life, and she utilized her talents for writing, cooking and organizing to serve in a variety of capacities. She, along with Virginia Harris and Dr. Anne Emery, coordinated the first fundraiser for HUCC, a church cruise to Bermuda. She was a founding member of the Women’s Guild and the Membership Development Ministry. She was installed as a Deacon in 1987, where she and Deacon Johnnie diligently visited the sick and those in mourning, prayed for those in distress and quietly helped lots of people with monetary support. She served as scribe to the Diaconate Board for over 30 years. Ann was a member of the Scholarship and Leadership Guild and a casserole maker for the Our Daily Bread ministry and a sandwich maker for the Homeless Outreach ministry. Heritage UCC recognized the McKees for their contributions by declaring September 2005 “McKee Month.” Ann was also recognized as a Church School Garden Angel and both she and Johnnie were honored at HUCC’s 50 Year Anniversary Gala. She leaves to mourn her loss her daughter H. Christine McKee, brother Billy R. Steele of Harmony, NC, godson Kevin A. Waters, Sr., of Catonsville, MD and a host of nieces and nephews, for whom she had become Mom after their mothers, her sisters, passed on. Her daughter, Carol Ann, and husband Johnnie preceded her in death. Farewell, until we meet again…

Tributes

Ann McKee

March 27, 1928 - April 17, 2016