Warren McVey

October 8, 1920 - October 18, 2015 ~Warren McVey of East Wenatchee, WA, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on October 18, 2015. He joins his beloved wife, Von, who went before him in March of 2014. They are together in Heaven. A few months after losing Von, Warren moved to Columbia Heights Senior Community in Wenatchee. He lived his final year with their assistance and care. He spent his final month with additional care from Central Washington Hospital Hospice. We thank the staff of each organization. Warren was born in Stigler, OK to Joseph William and Martha Maud McVey on October 8, 1920. He was sixteen months younger than his brother, William Hugh McVey, who passed away less than a year ago in Virginia, also at the age of 95. Warren and Von grew up in neighboring towns. After a three-year courtship, they married on April 19, 1943. They celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2013. He served stateside during WWII. After receiving an honorable discharge, the McVey's joined a migration of post-war families to Central Washington. They moved to a large orchard community near Palisades, where Von picked fruit and worked in the processing shed, and Warren drove trucks. While living there, they welcomed their daughter, Darrow to the family. The McVey's were devout members of the First United Methodist Church in Wenatchee. In the 1950's, they helped build and then transition the church to the present structure. They built their own house in East Wenatchee, and lived there from 1955 to 2014. Their sons, Marty and David, arrived in 1958 and 1963, respectively. This completed the nuclear family. Soon after completing the house, Warren went to work for Roy Taylor, a general contractor from Rock Island. After a few years, Warren was ready to go out on his own and did so in the late 1960's. As a small contractor, he built homes from the ground up and mostly alone, only subcontracting mechanical and drywall work. He occasionally hired a local carpenter friend to help. His friend must have been good because Warren was meticulous at everything he did. "G" or "Mac", as his friends called Warren, had little tolerance for mistakes. Some of his homes were constructed outside the Wenatchee Valley, but most were built in East Wenatchee. Warren made a good living until interest rates climbed well over twenty percent in 1980, essentially killing the U.S. housing industry. Remodeling jobs occupied his time as he continued working through the mid-1980's. He was proud that he cared for his family and helped his two sons attend and graduate from Washington State University. All while preparing for retirement. It was not all work for G. He was an active bowler in the 1960's, often rolling 200 games. He was introduced to golf about the same time, and started playing at Rock Island Golf Course with friends. After awhile, he took his game to Three Lakes Golf Course in Malaga. He and Von were soon playing couple's golf events and making themselves active members of the club. Warren played quite well through the years, achieving a 10 handicap. He was very competitive and believed that people earn what they get in life. He passed such values on to his kids. While at Three Lakes, he served as a board member and often worked on the facilities. His contribution to the course was recognized when he was presented the Doc Conway Award for service in 1976. He played golf well into his 70's, but his legs started to fail him and he had to give it up. In retirement, he enjoyed fishing with his friend, Red Harrison. Never one to sit still, he enjoyed driving a wheat truck for Howard Snyder, in Waterville, during the yearly harvest. He had two heart attacks in 1997. The second one nearly killed him, but Von, who had no training in CPR, managed to resuscitate him before the paramedics arrived. After triple by-pass surgery in Seattle, he spent two months recovering from various complications, while she stayed by his side. As the two of them moved into their 80's, their physical health was good, but Von showed more and more signs of dementia. They remained independent, even as Von's memory faded. Warren took care of her to within six months of her death, at the age of 90. Even with her memories gone, she recognized who Warren was to the end. He wanted to see Von again, and now he has. They will both be deeply missed. ~Warren is survived by sons, Marty (wife Cathy and son Gary) of Bellevue and David of Seattle, WA. He was preceded in death by Von and their daughter, Darrow, who is survived by Warren's granddaughter Amy Carrasco (husband Alex, sons Max, Jack, and Adam) of West Jordan, UT. Warren's brother's (William) surviving family members are his wife, Marcella McVey, daughter, Tami McVey, son, William (Randy) McVey, and granddaughter, Elizabeth McVey. ~A Memorial Service will be held Wednesday, October 28, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Wenatchee at 941 Washington Street. A coffee reception will follow. Interment will be at 3:00 p.m. at Evergreen Memorial Park in East Wenatchee. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a charitable donation to; Washington Autism Alliance & Advocacy (WAAA), 16225 NE 87th Street, Suite A-2, Redmond, WA 98052. www.washingtonautismadvocacy.org All gifts are tax deductible. Online donations can be made at http://www.washingtonautismadvocacy.org/updates/online-matching-gifts/