Robert Pattee McCreery

Mass of Christian Burial for Pat McCreery will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday January 6, 2012 at St. Matthew's Catholic Church with Father Cliff Jacobson officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the American Legion Post #42 Drill Team. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Thursday, January 5, 2012 followed by a rosary at Gillette Memorial Chapel.Robert Pattee "Pat" McCreery, age 95, died Sunday, January 1, 2012 at Primrose Retirement Community from natural causes.Pat McCreery was born October 7, 1916 in Los Angeles, California to Dr. Rolla L. and Imo (Burkett) McCreery. His early years were spent in Manville, Wyoming. When his parents divorced his mother remarried Fred Manning from Douglas and Pat spent his teenage years on the Manning Ranch northeast of Douglas. He graduated from Converse County High School in 1935. While in high school he joined the Wyoming National Guard 115th Cavalry Troop K serving from 1931 to 1935. In early 1936, he joined the United States Marine Corp serving on the USS Ranger (CV4), the first aircraft carrier built as an aircraft carrier. He was trained as a military policeman. He served in the Marines until February 16, 1940. While in the Marines he met Bill Fitch from Gillette, Wyoming who was a shipmate on the USS Ranger. When he was going on leave to Douglas Bill told him to look up a friend by the name of Marie Rohan who was working for the Bureau of Land Management. He did meet her on the last day of his leave. When he was discharged from the Marines he went to visit his sister Gerry in Cheyenne, Wyoming who had a friend she wanted him to meet. The friend turned out to be Marie Rohan who had moved to Cheyenne to work for the U.S. Weather Bureau. Pat married Marie Genevieve Rohan on June 30, 1940, in Gillette, Wyoming. On January 19, 1942, he joined the United States Navy. He served in World War II in the Pacific Theater on two destroyers, the USS Lardner and the USS Irwin. Pat participated in five Fleet engagements receiving two combat decorations and fourteen battle stars. He was discharged from the Navy September 29, 1945. Pat and Marie engaged in ranching on the Rohan Ranch on November 1945. In January 1984, they purchased the ranch from Marie's aunt Helen Rohan renaming it the McCreery Ranch. They remained on the ranch until late 2006 when they moved to Gillette. Marie passed away on September 17, 2007. Pat served in the Wyoming Army National Guard from January 27, 1957 to November 3, 1974. He was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis from October 1, 1961 to July 1, 1962 serving at Fort Lewis, Washington. In August 1954, he contracted polio and was hospitalized in Casper for over seven weeks. He watched several friends from Gillette die from polio and when he walked out of the hospital wondered why he had lived. It was a life changing event and started his journey of service to his community. His service to Gillette and Campbell County has been constant and varied. He served as a County Commissioner from 1954 to 1958. He served on the District #7 school board from 1958 to 1966. He served on the Joint Powers Board that was instrumental in bringing Madison water to Gillette. He served on the Campbell County Hospital Board of Trustees when the present hospital was built. He served on the Board of Directors of the Campbell County Higher Education Foundation while the Gillette Campus was expanding to build the Gillette College. He served on the Sheriff's Posse as a volunteer deputy in the early 1970's. He was on the committees that built the old St. Matthew's Catholic Church which was located at the corner of Sixth Street and Gillette Avenue and the new St. Matthew's Catholic Church located on the corner of Ninth Street and Butler Spaeth. He taught Sunday school in the 1950's. He was a lay reader until 2007. He has been a member of the American Legion Post #42 since 1945, serving as post commander in 1949, department chaplain 1973-1977, department commander 1979-1980, post chaplain 1972-1982 and drill team chaplain 1968-1982. He has been a member of Post #42 drill team from 1946 to 2008. He has served as a National Executive Committeeman from Wyoming and served on the National Security Committee of the American Legion. Pat was proud to have served his country and with a fellow Navy veteran Chuck Ernst developed a history of the American Flag. They presented the program to children and adults. After Chuck passed away Pat continued to give the flag program to any group who asked. He was proud of the ranch and proud that he had taught each of his five children to ride a horse and shoot a gun. He loved the water and swimming and taught his children to swim in the ranch reservoirs. He loved history and traveling to visit battle fields and historic places of interest including going to the Delaware River at 1:00 AM on a cold January winter night to see what it would have been like to cross the river with horses in a boat. He was a gifted speaker and melded his love of history with storytelling. He will be remembered for his quick wit and storytelling including many jokes.Pat is survived by his daughters: Mary Alice (Milt) Law and Maggi McCreery-McCoy (Elmer); his sons: Mike (Brooke), Kelley (Nadine) and Paul (Linda); his grandchildren: Mark (Angela) Law and children: Zoe and Zack, Chad (Chandra) Law and children: Lexi, Tori, Liz, Gen, Becca, Michael, Daniel, Joshua and Andrew, Annette Law, Theresa (Jim) Leuthold, Stacey McCoy, Shane McCreery, Tiana (Esteban) Delgado and children: Alexandra and Aidan, J'Lynn McCreery, Brittani McCreery, Patrick McCreery, Tracy McCreery and her husband Jon Wraith and children: Mason Kaiser, Maleah and Dana, Jim McCreery and daughter, Adley, Robert McCreery, and David (Tara) Brash and daughter, Winter.He was preceded in death by his wife, Marie, his parents, his sister Gerry, his sister Etta, his brother Burk, and an infant grandson Kelley McCreery.Memorials can be made to the American Legion Post #42 Drill Team Fund or to the Robert P. McCreery Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Gillette College Foundation. Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or condolences via the internet at www.gillettememorialchapel.com.Funeral Home:Gillette Memorial Chapel210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WYUS 82716