Jacqueline F. (McGee) Shipe, age 82 of Sun City West, Arizona passed away Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at Gardiner Home in Phoenix, Arizona. Graveside services will be 2:00 P.M. Saturday, February 26, 2011 at Englewood Cemetery, Clinton, Missouri under the direction of Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton. Family suggests memorial contributions to Hospice of the Valley and can be left in care of Vansant-Mills Funeral Home.

Jackie was born May 8, 1928, at Kansas City, Missouri, Research Hospital. Her father was Louis McGee whose family fled Ireland during the potato famine and went to Glasgow then to the United States in Missouri. Her mother was Leona Foster whose family came to the United States from England in the 1800s. Jackie had an IQ of 155 (genius category). She was the first person in her family to go to college and graduated from Weber University in Ogden, Utah. She had a BS in elementary education with a minor in library science. Jackie and John met in aeronautics class in Westport High School in Kansas City, MO. They were married April 12, 1947, and would have celebrated their 64 anniversary this year. John and Jackie knew each other for 65 years and she waited for John to come back from WW II, England, France and Germany. They had three sons together: Dwight David Shipe, Douglas Vincent Shipe and Steven Andrew Shipe. David was Assistant Director of Cessna Aircraft in Booten, NJ; Douglas is a CPA/MBA and a former IRS Agent; Steven is a manager for I.B.M in Boulder, Colorado. Jackie finished college while her three boys were in school all day. She worked for Clipper Mfg. Co. in Kansas City, MO, and became the manager of the ordering and shipping department. She then worked for I.B.M. in Huntsville, AL, as a research librarian for the Saturn V project to the moon. Jackie then invested 15 years in Longview Community College as a reference librarian in Lee's Summit, MO. She was an ardent fisherman and fished with her husband John in Canada and five states in the U.S. Jackie was also a good golfer and won money almost every week at Stardust Golf Course. Jackie read constantly, at least two books a week. She and John traveled to France and Germany and also twice to England. They also took their 3 sons with them (age 14, 16 & 18) to Europe. While in Italy the family was stranded in line at the Basilica and an Italian father came out and got them out of the long line to take them on a personal tour of the Basilica. The Italian people were very good to them. While on one of their two trips to Ireland they studied Irish history at Limerick University and learned all about Cromwell of England in 1535. Their history professor was Mary Pearl. Jackie and John loved each other very, very much and John will miss her so, so much. Jackie is preceded in death by her parents, sister Ila Casselman and son Dwight David. Graveside services will be held Saturday, February 26, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. at the Englewood Cemetery, Clinton, Missouri. Contributions may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014. Arrangements are intrusted to the Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri, 660-885-2021. Fond memories of Jackie can be left at www.vansant-millsfuneralhome.com.