[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     WILLIAM (BILL) ALEXANDER McKEE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED PERLMUTTER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2021

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize William 
(Bill) Alexander McKee of Golden, Colorado who passed away on February 
7, 2021.
  Bill was born in Lake Forest, Illinois and grew up in Barrington, 
Illinois. He graduated from Barrington High School in 1970 and went on 
to graduate from the University of Denver in 1974 with a B.A. in 
Political Science. In 1977, he received a Masters of Urban Affairs with 
an emphasis in Budgeting and Administration from the University of 
Colorado.
  In 1979, Bill began his career with the Colorado Department of Health 
and Environment in the Water Quality Division. During his 26 years at 
the department, he worked to protect the rivers, lakes and streams of 
Colorado. Whether working with grants, permits, regional planning, 
nonpoint source pollution or as the Upper Colorado Watershed 
coordinator, Bill realized water pollution was about all of us working 
together and influenced how various jurisdictions were expected to 
comply with the Clean Water Act.
  Bill met his wife Suzy through common friends in 1978. They married 
in 1979 at Pine Valley Ranch in Pine, Colorado and moved to Golden, 
Colo. soon thereafter. During his 38 years in Golden, Bill was 
constantly working to improve his community. Bill embraced Golden, as 
he did water. He served from 1988 to 1996 on the Golden Planning 
Commission and was elected to the Golden City Council from 1996 to 
2004. Bill's time on both city council and the planning commission 
coincided with important changes in the history of Golden. Alongside 
fellow city leaders, Bill worked to revitalize downtown and bring more 
business and tourism to Golden. Many of Bill's lasting contributions 
were to the boards and organizations where he served, such as his 
tenure as president of the Friends of the Golden History Museum and 
Park. Bill helped shepherd this organization from a volunteer 
organization to the professionally run museum it is today. For many 
years, Bill also volunteered for the Leadership Golden Alumni 
Association Board.
  In 2003, Bill joined the board of the Colorado Watershed Assembly. He 
served on the board for 10 years and as the chair for four years. Bill 
helped grow the yearly Sustaining Colorado's Watershed Conference into 
a top-notch multi-day event. He was a guiding force, a natural leader, 
and he saw the value of a statewide conference for watershed groups, 
private and government sectors, and concerned citizens to gather and 
share their mission of ensuring clean water for all Coloradans.
  Bill loved spending time with his family, gathering with close 
friends, hiking with his faithful dog Grace, attending local ribbon 
cuttings, attending meetings, attending more meetings, following our 
local sports teams, reading the Denver Post daily, skiing the steeps, 
golfing, biking, playing the guitar and occasionally his flute, making 
the best spaghetti sauce ever, enjoying quality scotch while smoking a 
cigar around the fire, whistling, singing to the radio, spending time 
in the mountains of Colorado, and traveling.
  Bill was a devoted husband and loving father and grandfather. He is 
survived by his wife, Suzy McKee, their children Meredith McKee, 
Gregory (Kari Hogan McKee); and grandchildren, Frances, Ace, and Mac 
McKee. I appreciate and thank him for a lifetime of service to our 
community.

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