Doral "Butch" Lynn McGee

Doral Lynn “Butch “ McGee passed away at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Post Falls on July 14th, 2024, from a rare cancer related to the exposure of Agent Orange in Vietnam, a service-connected condition. Major McGee served over 20 years, both as a commissioned officer (Lt. & Capt.) and noncommissioned officer (MSgt) in the United States Air Force, retiring at the rank of Major. His duty stations were – Mt. Home AFB, ID; Fairchild AFB, WA; Danang & Phu Cat Air Bases in Vietnam; Peterson AFB, CO; Tyndall AF, FL, and Hahn AB, Germany for 8 years. 

Doral was born to Albert Benjamin McGee and Dorothy Erickson McGee on 17 August 1941, at his parent’s home in Lake Mills, WI. He shared many fond memories of growing up with his sister Patricia in Wisconsin and Illinois, graduating in 1959 from a small-town high school in Byron, Illinois, where he played trumpet in the school band. Doral received an Associate in Arts Degree in 1962 from Bakersfield College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from San Jose State in 1964, and a Master of Science in Management from Troy State in 1983 during his service in Germany.

While stationed at Mt Home, Idaho, Butch met an on-base fifth grade school teacher, Connie Nelson, from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. They married on July 31st, 1966, in her home town and were blessed with the birth of their three children – Trina at Mt. Home AFB in 1967, Derek in 1968 in Coeur d’ Alene while Butch was in Vietnam, and Elena at Hahn AB, Germany in 1973. 

Retiring from the Air Force in Germany, Doral and his wife moved back to Coeur d’ Alene to build a home on their French Gulch country property east of Coeur d’ Alene with the help of relatives under the supervision of his father-in-law, Contractor Elton Nelson. Butch enjoyed working at Ernst, Eagles, and Lowe’s after military retirement helping customers find what they needed or referring them to another store. 

The man - Butch was steadfast with his devotion to “God, Family, and Country.” He was proudly confirmed in the Lutheran Faith at Worms, Germany. Butch enjoyed sharing with others stories of family adventures - from Volksmarches, scouting, and Masonic work in Germany to loading 4-H sheep and pigs in his truck to haul to the fair, to hauling his granddaughter’s horse to rodeo events, to hunting and doing his first skinning of his deer under the supervision of his father-in-law, to caring for small farm animals, to giving rides on his tractor to his grandchildren, and even to plowing the long windy driveway up the ridge after a snowstorm. He was rarely sick and could brag about never missing a day of work.

Doral’s affiliations: Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Idaho (33 degree Mason); Kootenai Lodge No. 24 AF & AM, Hayden, ID; Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons of Idaho, Keystone Chapter No. 29; The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry – Valley of Coeur d’ Alene, Orient of Idaho; Coeur d’ Alene Commandery No. 5, Knights Templar, Hayden, Idaho; Emerald Council # 8 Cryptic Masons, Hayden, Idaho; St. Patrick Conclave Red Cross of Constantine and Appendant Orders; The Grand Council Order of High Priesthood of Idaho; Calam Temple Legion of Honor of the International Association Legions of Honor & Locomotive Unit; Queen Esther Chapter # 12, Coeur d’ Alene, ID; Manuel Schneidmiller American Legion Post # 154, Rathdrum, Idaho; Trinity Lutheran Church, and the Museum of North Idaho. 

Preceding Doral were his parents Albert B. McGee and Dorothy E. McGee and his sister Patricia A. Anderson. 

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Connie L. Nelson McGee of Hayden, ID. Also by his three children - Trina C. Caudle of Hayden, ID, Derek S. McGee (Diana) of Rathdrum, ID, and Elena A. Nelson of Coeur d’ Alene, ID and his nine grandchildren - Amanda Harrington (Will) and children Alexander & Honor Elizabeth of Idaho Falls, ID; Jesse (Hailey) Caudle of Renton, WA; Garret Caudle of Brooklyn, NY; Erika Claggett and son Caber of Coeur d’ Alene, ID; Jessica Dretke (Ian) and son Walker of Athol, ID; Dirk Nelson of Coeur d’ Alene, ID; Ashley Sparks of St. Cloud, MN; Logan and Zach McGee of Rathdrum, ID, and four great grandchildren with another on the way. 

Funeral arrangements are being made by English Funeral Chapel. One can leave a message on their website for the family. A graveside service for family and friends is schedule for July 29th at 10:00 A.M. at the Masonic section of the Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, followed by a gathering with coffee and cookies at Trinity Lutheran Church in Coeur d’ Alene.

Please consider donating to the Shriners Children’s (911 W 5th Ave., Spokane, WA 99204) in Doral’s name.