Bruce Welcher McKee

Bruce McKee passed peacefully on July 29, 2023. Services will be held 11 a.m. Friday, September 15, 2023 at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, where Bruce regularly attended services. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time at 11 a.m. at the church.

An Iowa native, Bruce was born on May 3, 1934 and grew up on his family’s farm northeast of Barnes City, in Poweshiek County. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering from Iowa State University in 1952. During his time at ISU, he was a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).

After graduating from Iowa State, Bruce moved to Washington, D.C. There, he worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office while attending law school at American University in the evenings. He earned his law degree in 1956.

In Washington, Bruce met his future wife, Martha Ziegler, when he offered her his seat on a busy street car on the way to work. Martha was an artist and a secretary for Senator Irving Ives from New York. Bruce and Martha married in 1958. The couple next resided in Dayton, Ohio while Bruce fulfilled a three-year obligation with the Air Force. There, Bruce served as a staff judge advocate at the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command (Wright Patterson Air Force Base) until 1962, where he completed his service with the rank of Captain.

It was then that Don Zarley, a Theta Xi fraternity brother from Iowa State, contacted Bruce and asked him to come to Des Moines to join him in the practice of intellectual property law. Their firm ultimately became, in 2002, the firm that continues to bear Bruce’s name, McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC (MVS).

Bruce did not officially retire from his law firm until February of 2022. He practiced law in Des Moines for 60 years and established himself as one of Iowa’s premier intellectual property attorneys.

Bruce resided in the Des Moines area where, together with Martha, they raised four children. Martha preceded Bruce in death in 2007, just short of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Bruce was passionate about Iowa State football and basketball, and he was a long-time season ticket holder for both sports, almost never missing a game. He was an avid tennis player and generous supporter of Iowa State Women’s Tennis. The Bruce McKee Indoor Tennis Complex is named in his honor for the generous donation he made to build a state-of-the-art tennis facility that is dedicated exclusively to the Iowa State women’s intercollegiate tennis program. For around 20 years, Bruce rode in RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).

Ever the optimist, Bruce loved to say “every day is a good day.” He took tennis lessons until the age of 85, always believing in the possibility of improvement. A social yet humble person, Bruce preferred learning about other people to talking about himself. Bruce will be remembered by all who encountered him as inquisitive, engaging and gracious.

Bruce is survived by his four children, Anthony (Debbie) of Clive, Chris (Caran) of McLean, VA, Stephanie and Kathleen (Jeff Johnson) of Fort Collins, CO; six grandchildren and four great-granddaughters. Bruce is also survived by his sister, Carolyn McGrew (Stan) of Morgan, UT, and special friend, Sue Kolbe with whom he enjoyed travel, concerts, sporting events and meals for the last many years of his life.

Bruce’s family extends very special thanks to Shannon Ryan (Senior Supports), St. Croix Hospice and Independence Village of Waukee, all of whom provided caring support of Bruce near the end of his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the American Heart Association or Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek, West Des Moines, IA 50265.