Sterling R. Mcfee

Sterling Ross ("Butch") McFee, 86, most recently of Perrysburg, OH, passed away on April 2, 2023, after a long and valiant fight against myasthenia gravis. He will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 19 years, Jane (Coble) McFee, and his two daughters whom he absolutely cherished, Colleen and Susanne McFee, of San Diego, CA and New Albany, OH, respectively. He was born on December 5, 1936, in Worcester, MA, to James Angus McFee and Mildred Agnes (Keirstead) McFee. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death in 1993 by his wife of 36 years, Jeanne T. McFee, originally from Shrewsbury, MA.

Sterling grew up in Worcester, MA, working alongside his father as an auto mechanic at McFee & Newton while obtaining his mechanical engineering degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He worked for more than 30 years as an engineer at Marathon Oil Company, mostly in Findlay, OH, with a short stint in Robinson, IL, where he raised his beautiful family. He was an avid ice hockey player in his youth and loved spending time on the water with his sail and power boats on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA, and later on Lake Erie, Findlay Reservoir, and Barton Lake. More recently, Sterling and his wife Jane enjoyed entertaining at their lake house on Barton Lake, and taking adventurous road trips together visiting family and friends in New England, North Carolina, and the West Coast.

His friends and family will remember him as a talented story-teller with an uncanny knack for delivering a punch line with the gusto that only a true Scotsman with an east-coast accent can have. He always had a passion for racing and cars, especially his cherished cherry-red 1966 Pontiac GTO, in which he patiently taught his skinny daughters how to handle an unrelenting clutch and stick shift while teaching them to drive for the first time. Known as "Dr. Know", as his license plate will attest, his wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge made him a trusted advisor of cars and life, and a true and loyal friend to many of all ages.

In addition to all of those pursuits, Sterling was an amazing piano player with a feel for the keys that can't be duplicated, playing many genres, everything from Vladimir Horowitz's renditions of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and Piano Sonatas No. 8 (Op. 13 "Pathetique") and 14 (Op. 27) in C Minor, to "Flight of the Bumble Bee", to Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" album, which he played along with his daughters, Colleen on clarinet, and Susanne, who could play "Blue Rondo a la Turk" as well as he could play it. Earlier in his career, he earned his professional engineering certificate from The National Society of Professional Engineers, and was also very proud of his Private Pilot's license earned at Findlay Airport in the 1970's. As if that weren't enough, he was also known for playing golf, at one point terrorizing the Quail Creek Country Club in Robinson, IL, as legend has it, with his dad in a golf cart during the Annual Father Son Tournament.

In addition to his wife and daughters, Sterling will be fondly remembered by his sisters, Linda Regele and Sandy (Capstick) Depanian, brother-in-law David Depanian, niece and nephews James Regele, Kathy Regele, Jason Capstick, and Ryan Capstick; Jane's children, Beth Robbins, Stephen Robbins, Jeff Robbins, Scott Robbins, her granddaughter Virginia Good and great-grandson Javier Rodriguez.

A private graveside service will be held by family in the coming weeks. Memorial contributions may be made to Ohio Living Hospice, Toledo Office, 1730 S. Reynolds Rd., Toledo, OH 43614.