William Earl McAtee's Obituary
Following a brief illness, William Earl McAtee, passed away on September 13, 2011 at his St. Helens home with his wife and daughter at his side.
Earl was born on April 19, 1926 in Rosston, Oklahoma, the fourth of five children born to Smith and Lucy McAtee. Earl grew up on the plains of Western Wyoming and Colorado.
In March 1944, Earl entered the US Navy and served on the USS Hammondsport in the Asiatic Pacific campaign of World War II. Following his military discharge, Earl met Mary Jean Wright and they were married April 5, 1947.
Earl worked throughout the western states as a heavy construction carpenter. He worked on many dams, bridges, and buildings including Portland's Light Rail and Performing Arts Center.
Jean and Earl came to St. Helens, Oregon in 1969, where Earl and his children built their family home.
He retired in 1988 and continued his love of carpentry; the projects he was most proud of were custom built roll top desks built for his six grandchildren.
Earl continued his dedication to his Christian faith as a member of the Warren Baptist Church.
He had a love for good conversation and a good argument.
Earl's legacy includes the following survivors who will continue to love and remember him: his wife of 64 years Mary Jean McAtee; daughter and son in-law Linda and Calvin Downey; son and daughter-in-law Stan and Janet McAtee; son and daughter-in-law Steven and Donna McAtee; grandchildren Reverend Brent McAtee and his wife Michelle, Nathan McAtee and his wife Sarah, Malina Downey, Major Kyle McAtee and his wife Melissa, Captain Kelly McAtee, Kendra Vrieze and her husband Joel; great-grandchildren; Lauren, Tyler, Samuel, Paige, Jacob, Jonathon, Jaxon, and Keely.
He is also survived by his siblings; Isabel Keller of Fort Collins, Colorado, Leila Brock of Bakersfield, California, Norman McAtee of Burns, Oregon, and Floyd McAtee of Hayden, Idaho and his Australian Shepard "Buddy".
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:30PM on September 23, 2011 at the Warren Baptist Church.
Private Interment: Yankton Hillcrest Cemetery-St. Helens.
The family recommends that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Longview Community Home Health and Hospice in Earl's memory.
on-line condolences may be sent to the family at www.columbiafh.com
Columbia Funeral Home-Directors
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