I can almost hear his friendly laugh echoing down the hallway while I write this obituary.
There are some people who are just a bright light wherever they go, the kind of person who has many friends, and you look forward to chatting with on the phone. Samuel Jeffrey “Jeff” McBee Sr. was that kind of guy.
As the market analyst for the Pallet Profile and Recycle Record, he regularly talked with pallet operations and sawmills around the country. People trusted him with information because he was just an honest guy who had built a strong reputation in the industry.
Jeff passed away on October 15th after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Always loving to talk with people in the industry, many whom he considered good friends, Jeff wrote the market report up until recently as his condition worsened.
More than just a reporter, many people loved to chat with Jeff due to his infectious humor and optimism. He found a way to balance all the different perspectives that he met and accurately gauge the market for years. Although he started out in the music industry, you would have thought sawdust was in his blood from the beginning the way that Jeff covered things and could relate to everyone from sawmillers to pallet companies to recyclers and end packaging users.
Our staff is continuing the work that Jeff did with the market reports as we look for a new person to steer this part of our business.
Jeff was an avid musician who loved to even build guitars and effect pedals. He loved the Green Bay Packers, and it seemed had an endless closet of Packer shirts and memorabilia. I personally remember the countless hours we spent discussing the Bible. He was a strong man of faith who loved Jesus. And even at his funeral, a number of people publicly confessed faith in Christ for the first time.
If you would like to pass along your comments, memories or condolences please email them to edb@ireporting.com. Jeff is survived by his wife, Sharon S. McBee; his children, Sarah C. McBee and Samuel Jeffrey McBee, Jr.; his mother, Mary Gratz and a brother, Phillip Janowski. If you would like to make a contribution in Jeff’s honor, please send to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).
Jeff will be sorely missed by our staff and readers. But we are pushing forward and strive to continue the work that made him so special.
