William Thomas Magee III Obituary
William Thomas Magee III (Tim), age 79, died on Monday, June 10 after being struck by a car near his home at 3252 NW 22 Ave, Oakland Park, Florida. He is survived by his wife Joyce (nee Spitzmiller), children William Thomas Magee IV (Mae) of McKinney, Texas, Sally Magee Bankes (Michael) of Palm Springs, California and Patrick Timothy Magee (Lauren) of Jackson, Tennessee; grandsons William Thomas Magee V and Nicholas Colby Magee of McKinney, Texas; siblings Susan Maddux of Loveland, Ohio and James Magee of Cincinnati, Ohio and Patrick Magee of Richland Center, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Thomas Magee Jr and Sue Ann (Armstrong) Magee, his siblings, Dan Magee, John Magee, Jeanne Koepfer and Robert Magee.
The oldest of eight children, Tim was born May 29, 1945 in Cincinnati, while his father was serving as a US Army Air Corps bombardier in Europe. Around Christmas 1944, his pregnant mother received a telegram informing her that her husband’s plane had been shot down over Yugoslavia and he was missing in action. About a week later, she received word that 10-member crew of the B-24 had all returned safely to base in Bari, Italy, assisted by local partisans. Tim and his siblings, their children and grandchildren all wore the christening gown that Tim’s aunt made from the silk of the parachute that had saved his father. It is a precious family heirloom.
Tim graduated from McNicholas High School in Cincinnati near the top of his class and earned a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan while on an NROTC scholarship. During this time, he dated the love of his life, Joyce Spitzmiller, who had attended the same primary and high schools. Upon graduation, he was commissioned in the US Navy and married Joyce two months later, on June 15, 1968. He served three years on a destroyer in Mayport, Florida and one year in small boats on the Mekong River in Vietnam. Like his father, he had a wife and baby at home while he served his country overseas in a war zone, having received orders to go to Vietnam right after his first son was born. Although he hardly ever talked about his service in Vietnam, papers have been found among his meticulous records that were never shared during his life, containing the following information:
He received Navy Commendation Medal “For meritorious service while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong.”
And this:
“Working in concert with various United States and Vietnamese military organizations, he contributed significantly to the establishment of the River Assault Groups that were instrumental in gaining control over the vital waterways of the U-Minh forest and Mekong Delta.”
After his discharge from the Navy, he earned an MBA from the University of South Alabama. He worked as an engineering manager for Texaco in Mobile, Alabama, then Avon Products in Atlanta and New York City, and finally Kraft Foods in Tarrytown, NY, from which he retired in 2002. In 2006, he and his wife moved from Rockland County, NY, where they had lived for 25 years, to Oakland Park, Florida.
Before and after retirement, he had a variety of interests and hobbies. In New York, he and his wife were founding members of Rockland Road Runners, a club that is still thriving 40 years later. He was a daily runner and participated in many races, including four marathons and many races in NYC’s Central Park.
In recent years, he walked several miles every day; friends of the family often reported spotting him far from home, scanning the ground for wayward treasures. During and after these walks, he dedicated countless hours to curating his collection of rare and common coins, and was a self-taught expert who developed innovative methods for acquiring new additions to his treasury.
He was a skilled gardener, often supplying friends with surplus vegetables from his yard and becoming knowledgeable about many aspects of growing beautiful plants.
He and Joyce loved to travel; they had returned home from Europe only four days before he died. Together they visited many countries on six continents as well as most of the 50 states. Most trips included art museums, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and world capital cities.
Once in a while, Tim managed to combine traveling with one of his most passionate interests--stamp collecting, a hobby that began in his childhood and continued to his last day. He focused on the very earliest stamps, mostly American and British. He kept meticulous records and was very proud of the collection he had amassed. A true highlight of 2023 (and of his life!) was his appointment to visit to the special room of the British Museum in London, where the philatelic expert spent over two hours showing him many of the most precious stamps in the museum. It seems he was as delighted to have an appreciative and knowledgeable visitor as Tim was to have this rare opportunity. He excitedly related to all the family that he had seen (among other wonders) the stamps that set off the American Revolution—remember the Stamp Act? He saw those very stamps! It was an enormous thrill for him. (Yes, he was a nerd and quite proud of it.)
He loved attending plays, musical theater, concerts, operas and ballets; he was a knowledgeable museum visitor and had an amazing memory.
Tim adored his wife and told her she was beautiful every single day. Literally. He supported everything she was involved in, including her volunteer work. He is an honorary member of the Broward Women’s Chorus, where Joyce has been a member since 2010, helping out with some of the heavy-duty chores. After each major concert, his voice usually could be heard from the back of the audience, with “Encore!”
He was an appreciative audience member for other events as well, enjoying every performance and enthusiastically cheering and clapping. He showed equal energy at athletic events such as road races, where he praised and encouraged fellow participants along the route.
What most people will remember about Tim is his cheerful disposition. Rarely was he ever in a bad mood (even when he was working in a high-stress occupation), and even then, he quickly brushed it away, a testament to his strong character. He had a genuine curiosity about all things and immense enjoyment of life and learning and fun. He had many future plans, including a multi-day Grand Canyon hike with some family members in September as an early celebration of turning 80 next year. His loss is devastating.
He left some cryptic notes about his wishes. One read: “Cremation” and “Party On” (with suggestions for a playlist). Following these guidelines, the “Party” was held at the Magee home on June 15, Tim and Joyce's 56th anniversary.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, Tim’s family asks for donations to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Donate Now | MADD.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, Tim's family asks for donations to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
