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James M. McGee, 48, Of Stamford, Certified Arborist

STAMFORD, Conn. - Jim McGee of Stamford died June 29. He was 48.

James M. McGee

James M. McGee

Photo Credit: The Daily Voice/Contributed

McGee was born Sept. 19, 1965, in Washington, D.C., and moved frequently with his family when his father, a corporate executive, was transferred to New Jersey, Michigan and California before moving to Scarsdale, N.Y., where he spent most of his childhood years. He was a 1983 graduate of Scarsdale High School. He took courses in Arboriculture and Landscape Design in high school. He worked with several tree companies in Vail, Colo., Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, Seattle and in the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

He transferred to the University of Massachusetts and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Forestry in 1996. He followed his undergraduate education by attending a joint course offered by Waseda University of Tokyo and Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Ore.

In his career he was staff arborist and instructor in Horticulture at the New York Botanical Gardens from 1996 to 2001 before becoming tree care supervisor at New York Central Park, 2001 to 2006. In 2000 he started his own tree care company, Tree Pro, where he performed tree work for commercial and private customers in Connecticut and New York. He was an arborist with the Tree Division of the Department of Parks and Recreation of the town of Greenwich, in addition to continuing his activities with Tree Pro on weekends.

He was a certified arborist of the International Society of Arborists, a premiere designation of professionalism in the industry and was a consulting arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists. He taught tree care in various venues ranging from the Yale University School of Forestry to a New York City program to train inner-city youth in tree care as a profession.

McGee is survived by his father, James McGee of Sun City, Calif.; sister, Kate McGee of Boston, Mass.; and girlfriend, Val. He was predeceased by his mother, Margaret.

McGee's cremated remains will be interred in California with those of his mother.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m Tuesday, July 29 at the Leo P. Gallagher and Son Funeral Home at 2900 Summer St., Stamford.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution in McGee's name be made to OPIN - Outreach to Pets in Need, Stamford (opinpets.org) or Audobon Greenwich (http://Greenwich.Audubon.org)

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