M. Curtiss McKee

Curtiss wanted his obituary to be short because he was never interested in accolades. He requested that it state only that “he was born, he lived, he died.” However, no one who ever knew him could ever stop there because he truly was a “gentle”man” -- one of faith, loyalty, generosity, intelligence, wit, and unfailing love.

Curtiss was born August 21, 1930 in Cleveland, Mississippi to Samuel Melvin and Alethea (Alice) Miles McKee. When he was six weeks old, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He went to Treadwell School, becoming class president his senior year. At age sixteen, he went to Millsaps College for two years before moving to Clarksdale to work for the Bank of Clarksdale. As the Korean War was beginning, he joined the Navy to become an aviator. As a Naval aviator, he served as a hurricane hunter, flying just 100 feet above the water and in anti-submarine warfare missions. He served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the Naval Reserves. Curtiss retired as a Captain after 30 years of military service. Curtiss was President of Naval League of Mississippi for several terms.

After his four years of active duty service in the Navy, Curtiss finished his undergraduate degree at Ole Miss and then attended University of Mississippi Law School while also teaching Political Science. Curtiss was an editor of the Law Journal and a member of the Lamar Order. He graduated from law school in 1959 at the top of his class with many distinctions, and he was elected as a member of the Ole Miss Hall of Fame.

Curtiss became one of the leading labor & employment lawyers in Mississippi. He took two cases to the U.S. Supreme Court. He was Chairman of the Judicial Selection Committee of the Mississippi Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He was also an active member of the Mississippi Bar Foundation of which he was also a Fellow, the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute, a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employer Lawyers. He was continuously chosen for The Best Lawyers in America from 1987-2010. Curtiss was admitted to practice before multiple Federal District Courts, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Military Appeals.

His civic activities were many. He was a longtime officer on the Board for the Williard Bond Home in Madison and the University Club. He was also a member of the Mississippi Opera Association, Jackson Symphony Association, and Jackson Club.

When Curtiss retired, he was asked to become the in-house attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson. He served pro bono there for five years. Curtiss was an active member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison where he was also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Curtiss is survived by his wife, Ann, of 50 years, daughters Carol Brame of Madison and Laura McKee Zouein (Fouad) of Ridgeland; sons David McKee (Shannon) of Gluckstadt and Reid McKee (Rachel) of San Antonio, Texas; grandchildren Lindsay Casperson (Eric), Allison Dotson (Alex), Taylor Brame, Shelby Partridge (Austin), Betsy McKee, Miles McKee, Jackson Lindsey, Juliet Lindsey, Molly McKee, Ava Cate McKee, Lucy McKee; and great-grandchildren Caylee Casperson, Connor Casperson, Chloe Casperson, and Luke Dotson.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 5:00 – 6:30pm and Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 10:00am followed by a Requiem Mass at 11:00am at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 4000 W. Tidewater Lane, Madison, MS 39110. A military honor burial will be held at Parkway Cemetery, 1161Highland Colony Pkwy. Ridgeland, MS 39157 after the mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 4000 W. Tidewater Lane, Madison, MS 39110, University of Mississippi Medical Center Children’s Hospital (https://www.umc.edu/Childrens/Childrens-Home-Page.htm), and/or your charity of choice.

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