From Plant Press, Vol. 19, No. 1, January 2016.
By Rusty Russell
The measure of a man is sometimes described as the quality of his relationships. By this ruler, Greg McKee is a giant among men. It makes it that much harder, therefore, to say good bye as he retires from 30 years of service to the U.S. National Herbarium and moves on to the second half of his life. But, fear not. Like many of his predecessors, Greg’s devotion to, and love of, the collection (especially the ferns) has inspired his plans to volunteer on a consistent basis for at least the near future.
By today’s standards, the story of Greg’s arrival is atypical. Following a stint in the U.S. Navy, and a civilian role at the Navy Yard, he found himself, by an unknown (to me) twist of fate, in our plant mounting room. Here he could be seen carefully securing specimens to herbarium paper … a meticulous but important step in processing specimens that he never failed to appreciate. Even after he moved on to assist David Lellinger in the fern collection, Greg was a frequent visitor to our mounting staff to pass along thanks for a job well done.
Assuming the role of apprentice in the fern collection, Greg studied at Lellinger’s side for many years, soaking up the nuances of fern taxonomy, identification, and curation. And when Dave Lellinger retired, Greg became the de facto curator of one of the largest and best pteridophyte collections in the world, a role he embraced for almost 15 years in the absence of a Curator of Ferns. During this time, Greg was the fern collection. He was the contact for students, post-docs, and the most senior pteridologists from other herbaria. He always demurred, saying that he wasn’t a real fern specialist. But his skills and expertise are manifest throughout the fern collection and served him very well on collecting trips to Ethiopia, Mongolia, and Mexico.
The mistake that many people make when asked to describe themselves is to describe their job. Greg never erred in that way. His devotion to family, his wife and his parents, is one that many people should envy. He is a student of global culture and different religious philosophies, drawing on them for strength when facing life’s difficulties. His interest in music is extensive and his knowledge of “boomer” pop culture extends to Walt Kelly’s Pogo comics (my favorite). He speaks multiple languages, frequently answering my questions in Russian, to which I would just nod. And he’s an avid fossil hunter which is likely to outcompete ferns in satisfying his constant need to learn.
Having known and worked with Greg in multiple capacities over many years, there is one word I would use to describe him. Passionate. About everything. Thanks, Greg.
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