Person:Richard Gee (1)

Richard Charles Gee Sept. 10, 1932 -- Feb. 6, 2004

Richard Charles Gee, of Toledo, passed away Friday evening at Heatherdow ns Rehabilitation Center after a long illness.

Richard was born in Kansas OH. His parents were Robert Wm Gee and Susan E lizabeth Hedden. He graduated from Fostoria High School and served in t he U S Navy during the Korean conflict aboard the USS Harry E Hubbard bas ed in Hawaii. Richard received an Honorable Discharge in 1955, and then at tended MI State University, graduating with a degree in Hotel Managemen

He enjoyed a long professional career as a recruiter for AIM, Inc., Snelli ng and Snelling, Green Thumb and other companies, and served as Program Di rector for the Senior Center, Inc. in Toledo, retiring in November 200 2. He then served as Marketing Director for the Toledo Repertoire Theat er until his retirement in November 2003.

In addition to his profession, Richard was active as a volunteer for ma ny community organizations, often acting as an officer or member of the bo ard. After receiving a liver transplant in July of 1989, he founded the No rthwest OH Chapter of the American Liver Foundation, an educational and su pport organization for sufferers of liver diseases, and served on the Clev eland Clinic Foundation, the Urban League, The March Of Dimes, Collingwo od Arts Center, Men Of Color, Downtown Toledo Inc., Sister Cities Of Toled o, the Toledo Repertoire Theatre and was active in St. Marks Episcopal Chu rch.

Richard was widely loved, gregarious, affectionate, humorous, strong wille d, loved God, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Sean Connery. He loved t he arts, especially the theater. During a stay in San Francisco he starr ed in a production of the Rocky Horror Show and directed that play for t he Collingwood Arts Center. He acted in other plays at the Collingwood Ar ts Center and for the Toledo Repertoire Theater.

Richard is survived by his daughter Heather Hire of Raleigh, N.C, sister J oan (Carl) Frisch of Lima and cousins Penny (David) Shane, Patrick Gosh e, and Kisha and McKenna McCabe of Fostoria.

There will be a memorial service at St. Mark's at a later date. The fami ly requests that those wishing to make a remembrance contribute to the Ame rican Liver foundation or to Hospice of Northwest OH.

Strabler Funeral Home, 1163 W Sylvania at Lockwood, is handling the arrang ements.

added by Jon Jay Shultz, February 10, 2004.