Marvin W. Gee

Let’s be honest. He wouldn’t have cared for this piece particularly. Marvin Gee didn’t like to talk about himself. In life. Or in death, as a manner of speaking. But after a long, full, multi-layered 94 years on this planet, that ended September 29th at the Good Samaritan Society - Estes Park Village, we memorialize Marvin’s life for him. None of his family wanted the job, this job. Since he was such an accomplished writer, even billing himself as the “strategic wordsmith” in his final working years as a communications consultant, we wanted him to have the last word, and write his own obituary. So, we assigned him a bit of homework. When cleaning out his office we found the word document marked “obit” on his computer desktop. Oh good, we thought. One less thing to worry about while we are grieving.

We clicked on it, anxious to know how this insatiably curious farm boy, class president, National Honor Society member, leader, follower, educator, student, former clergy member, communications professional, community organizer and lifelong learner right to the end would summarize his life.

In a word, or two, he didn’t. The document was blank. Just a whole bunch of glowing white space staring back at us from the computer screen. Waiting for someone else to fill in the words about him. And so like him. We’re not at all sure this is what he would have written. And this will no doubt be longer than what his version would have been. But here goes.

Marvin Wayne Gee was born on December 27, 1928, at Missouri Methodist Hospital in St. Joseph, a community of about 80,000 people, then and now, 50 miles north of Kansas City.

At the time of his birth, his parents lived in a Sears, Roebuck and Co. “catalog home,” on a farm in rural Oregon, Missouri, north of St. Joe. Sears sold thousands of these kit homes, and many are still in good condition today, including Marvin’s childhood home.

His early education consisted of walking both ways uphill and down through rain, snow, sleet, and mud to a one-room schoolhouse (no word on whether he was barefoot) with eight grades, a single teacher, and an outhouse. He later attended high school in Maryville, 38 miles away, where he distinguished himself as class president, one of four class members to achieve National Honor Society status, National Music Honor Society, and was the statewide president of Christian Youth Fellowship.

His high school principal said, “This school – and community – could use a lot more young people like Marvin Gee.”

We know these things not because he ever told us. He didn’t. We read them in a newspaper. Or newspapers plural. When going through his office we came across three huge binders filled with dozens, maybe even hundreds, of newspaper clippings and articles and photos. They were all about him, his achievements, accolades, appointments, promotions, speeches and special events. It was special for us to be able to learn these things. But it would have been even cooler to have pored through those photo albums together when he was alive. Better late than never.

After high school graduation, he attended Phillips University, in Enid, Oklahoma, where he was a Bible major. Early in his college career, he was named international Christian Youth Fellowship chairman, and was preparing for the pastoral ministry. After once again being named senior class president, this time of his undergraduate college class, he continued his education at Phillips, graduating from their seminary.

By this time, he had met a young woman who was also from St. Joseph, Ruthella Farris, and they married on his birthday, December 27, 1950.

Marvin was ordained soon after at First Christian Church in St. Joe, and the next chapter of their young lives brought them to Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he was named pastor of First Christian Church there. That’s where they welcomed the first two of three children, Debbie, and David.

Marvin next was the founder and charter member of Citizens’ Action Committee for Children and Youth, and then became Director of Church Expansion for the Iowa Society of Christian Churches. By this time, they had moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and there Marvin was called to be the founding pastor of Noelridge Park Christian Church, where child number three, Dana, was welcomed into the world. While serving that nascent congregation, he also led the formation of a unique alliance from the local faith community, which brought together Catholic priests, Jewish rabbis, and mainline Protestant pastors.

Deliberately seeking out a variety of viewpoints would have been forward thinking for the time, but it was a hallmark of Marvin’s, and also served to portend a group he would help start and lead in Estes Park many years later. After seven years of college and seminary training and 12 years of service to the church though, he was beginning to question the role of the Church in society, where the clergy fits in, and where he fit in specifically.

“The ministry has provided an opportunity to teach and preach, a chance to relate to people at their point of need and help orient people to the meaning and purpose of life,” he told The Cedar Rapids Gazette, in a lengthy article entitled, “A Minister Leaves the Pulpit.” However, he felt promotion in the church typically means serving larger and larger congregations, and he said, “this doesn’t hold any interest for me, and I see greater challenge elsewhere.”

His first post-church career role was with an executive training firm, and included a move to Des Moines, Iowa. “I have a great interest in adult education and to be of continuing service to people,” he added in closing in the article. “I see myself carrying my ministry into the world.” And that is exactly what he did, putting his considerable communication and public speaking and facilitating skills to work in a wide variety of positions. Those included vice president and general manager of Business & Industry Magazine, vice president of communications for senior community developer Life Care Services, and vice president and director of development for Dowling/St. Joseph Educational Center.

By this time, Marvin had divorced, and he later met and married Charlotte Richardson, becoming stepfather to her two teenage daughters, Sandra and Linda. After Char’s retirement from the Des Moines Public School System, they built a home in The Retreat in Glenhaven in 1988. They lived there for over 30 years, before later moving to town and living out their remaining lives in a twin home at Good Sam. And over those more than three decades, Marv was extremely active and involved in the community to say the least.

He created and edited the Estes Park Medical Center newsletter, edited the Medical Center Foundation newsletter, was a member of Rotary, a Paul Harris Fellow board member, assistant treasurer and board member at The Retreat Landowners Association, ordained elder and session member at Community Church of the Rockies, development committee member Highlands Camp & Retreat Center, board member at Estes Park Community Resource Center, and board member at Estes Valley Land Trust.

In fact, next time you’re at the Estes Park Riverwalk, look for a bench with a plaque that reads, “In honor of Marvin Gee, his wife Charlotte, and their families, for his 14 years of service as a board member promoting the mission of Estes Valley Land Trust.” Any time any of us would drive around the area with him he would proudly point out undeveloped parcels of land that the land trust had protected.

However, the thing he was probably most proud of, at least during the latter part of his life, was leading “Journeys,” an adult spiritual education and exploration community now boasting dozens of members spread out all across the country. Journeys began around 2003 and was led by Marv from the very beginning. It started in the library at Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies in Estes Park and identified itself as a Progressive Christian program, exploring new ways of thinking about the traditional Christian message. Its initial curriculum was called "Living the Questions," and encouraged participants from all faith backgrounds to share their perspectives with no judgment.

On that subject, when the Journeys members were all sharing stories and memories of Marv after his passing, one said she would never forget him standing up for someone after they were being talked down to by another person during a discussion saying, “we don’t do that here.” The members take pride in describing themselves as a group of “heretics,” meaning that the participants think for themselves. Marv was fond of saying that "our faith is 2,000 years old, but our thinking is not." Many in Journeys found their participation during the pandemic to be particularly valuable, during a period when many other social and public outlets were closed. It’s a real community that contributes to the members’ quality of life through intellectual pursuit, personal friendships, and physical and emotional support, and Marvin was so enriched by it on many levels. The group continues to meet weekly, exploring a variety of religious, political, and social themes. Marv was the sole leader of the class for about 15 years and continued to stay active until the final days of his life.

Marvin didn’t spend any time counting the days though. He never boasted about almost making it to 95. He would often say, “I didn’t expect to live this long, I didn’t prepare to live this long, but I’ll take it and be grateful for it.” He was also grateful when the Seasoned Bistro restaurant in downtown Estes, his favorite restaurant, named a brunch dish after him. Next time you’re there, think of him when you order “The Marvin,” brioche bread French toast, thick-cut bacon, honey butter and Vermont maple syrup.

Marvin is survived by daughter Debbie Gee, son David Gee (Jan), daughter Dana Braun (Tom), stepdaughters Linda Barry and Sandra Ellison (Andrew), grandchildren Matthew Gee, Michaela Gee, Nick Braun, Josh Braun, and step-granddaughter Shannon Barry.

And now that we would have likely thoroughly embarrassed our Dad with this long piece, we’re done. But we’re not done celebrating his life. Join us November 11, Estes Valley Community Center, 660 Community Drive, Estes Park, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., for Marvin’s Celebration of Life. Cake and refreshments will be served, with remarks and a time of sharing beginning at 3:00 p.m. Hope to see you there.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.allnuttestespark.com for the Gee family.