Robert Bruce Magee

July 28, 1956 - August 5, 2013

Robert Bruce Magee, beloved husband and father, left this world for the next on Monday, August 5, 2013. Bringing to an end a difficult 7 month struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and Frontotemporal dementia, he passed peacefully in his sleep under the care of the loving staff at Inola Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was a mere 57 years old and much too young to be taken by this vicious illness.A native of Oklahoma, Robert spent his youth in Catoosa developing a strong love for the outdoors. He married his wife Martha in 1977 and they raised two loving daughters, Jessica and Robyn in their house located just down the road from his childhood home. Throughout his life he spent many happy hours hunting and fishing with friends and family. Robert was a true outdoorsman at heart. His wife and kids were certain that in the later years of his life he no longer put much effort into the actual hunt, but instead simply cherished the time spent outdoors with friends and mother nature.In the working world Robert spent most of his adult life working in the aircraft industry. He had a clear love for all things mechanical and an unmatchable talent for problem solving in the most creative manner imaginable. He was acclaimed in professional circles for his innovative creation of original tools designed for specific tasks. He had a gift for managing employees and was well-respected by his coworkers.Anyone who knew Robert in his professional or personal life would quickly agree that he was a brilliant individual in many ways. Although he had little formal education beyond high school, he was clearly a born leader who had a very unique quality that made people want to follow him. He was a person who knew the answer to just about any question–even if he didn’t actually know the answer, he was certain to provide one! He was a true “Mr. Fix-It” who could solve just about any problem and could create the most amazing things out of mere scraps of metal and wood.He loved his home, his family, and being helpful to just about anyone in need. He was the friend that you called when your had car trouble. He was the guy that ALWAYS owned a truck and was more than happy to help you move. He loved to laugh and had an infectious giggle that few people could resist. He gracefully accepted the role of humble target for the many occasions during which his wife and daughters adoringly teased him about his sometimes far-fetched attempted inventions like the lawn chair tree stand and seemingly goofy acquisitions including a used saxophone and a classic fruit-peddler camper.Before his illness began to clearly affect his life, he was blessed to see the marriage of both his daughters and the births of his 3 granddaughters. He was lovingly known as “Papa” by his grandchildren and was surrounded by their adoring smiles on a daily basis in his final few months of life.Robert was preceded in death by his father Russell Magee and brother Dave. He is survived by his wife of 36 years Martha, daughter Jessica Martin and husband Jacob, daughter Robyn Pursley and husband Scott, grandchildren Evie, Sydney, Katie, Graeme, Gavin, and Billi, mother Marjorie Neal, sister Lesa Magee, and brother Clifford Magee and wife Rebecca.A memorial celebration reception will be held on Saturday, August 10th at 1:00pm at Floral Haven Family Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. His family wishes to thank the caring friends and family that showed their support throughout this difficult journey.