Obituary of Richard McPheeters

Richard McPheeters died peacefully on July 4, 2015, at St. Luke’s Hospice at the age of 95. Richard was born in Kansas City, Mo., to William and Ellen (Zehnder) McPheeters. After experiencing a less than privileged childhood, he began his first job at the age of 17 working for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Two years later, he started his long career with U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and then enlisted in the Navy in 1942. After serving for four years, he returned to the Immigration Service where he noticed a pretty redhead who had started working there in his absence. She was to become the love of his life. Marcelle (Marcy) Wood and Richard were married in 1946. They would raise four red-haired children, with Richard’s occupation leading the family to live in New Orleans, upstate New York, Winnipeg, Duluth and Vancouver. He wrapped up his career working at the American Consulate in Naples, Italy, overseeing operations in Madrid, Rome and Athens. After retiring as District Officer in Charge of Immigration and Naturalization at the age of 57, he and Marcy moved around Arkansas and Missouri while summering and, finally, settling in Duluth at Gramercy Park. He and Marcy spent most of their retirement traveling through all 50 states, Mexico, South America, Africa, Asia and most of Europe. He was a caring husband and father, proud of his redheaded clan. Financially prudent and adept with numbers, he was a skillful low-stakes gambler and avid card player. He loved horse racing, coin collecting, dancing, globe-trotting and Marcy’s cooking. He taught his grandchildren to play chess and later, when they were of age, how to shoot craps. His keen intelligence, dry wit and perfect gin and tonics will be deeply missed. Richard was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his 97-year-old sister, Hildegard Henry; wife, Marcy McPheeters; children, Dan (Jean) McPheeters, Dennis (Elaine) McPheeters, Sue (Bill) Ward and Jean (Dave) Kirwan. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Jason, Noell, Emily, Alex, Amy, Wednesday and Molly; and six great-grandchildren. The family extends a special thank-you to the St. Luke’s doctors, nurses and hospice staff for the incredible care they provided Richard. Memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2015, at Cremation Society of Minnesota, 4100 Grand Ave., Duluth. A reception will follow the service. Cremation Society of Minnesota, 218-624-5200, www.cremationsocietyofmn.com.