Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Tuesday

FESTIVAL TO PAY TRIBUTE TO GEE

The National Cherry Festival Board of Directors already has come up with two ways to pay tribute to long-time festival volunteer Mel Gee.

-- The new Mel Gee Marching Band Award will be presented to one parade performing band showing excellence.

-- The Very Cherry Distinguished Senior Breakfast and other senior events held during the festival also will honor Gee.

The festival runs July 7-14 this year.

Related Photos

  • Mel Gee,announces the arrival of floats at the intersection of Front and Union streets during the Grand Royale Parade in 2006. Record-Eagle file photo

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June 12, 2012

Cherry Festival legend Mel Gee dies at age 84

By LORAINE ANDERSON landerson@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — "Time goes by, but I keep moving," Mel Gee told a reporter in 2006.

He stood at the corner of Front and Union with his bullhorn and announced the Cherry Festival Royale Parade bands, floats and other entries.

"This is my home, right here," he said.

On Saturday, friends, fans and city leaders will gather to pay tribute to Gee, who died Friday at 84 after a life filled with music, song and Cherry Festivals.

Gee was a festival volunteer "ambassador" for 58 of his 84 years.

"He was a treasure, a really special guy, and he'll be missed," said Trevor Tkach, executive director of the National Cherry Festival.

Tkach said the festival committee already is working on a number of ways to pay tribute to Gee during this year's festival.

Tkach visited Gee last week at Munson Hospice House and officially named him parade marshal emeritus in honor of his years of service.

Gee served as Cherry Royale Parade marshal in 1996 and in 2004 was Heritage Parade Marshal. He also was a longtime supporter of Traverse City's high school bands and music programs.

Sally Lewis, music minister at First Congregational Church, said Gee was a fixture in the church's music program for more than 70 years, singing first in the children's choir up through the years. He often sang solos into the mid-1990s.

"I always knew him as a kind and gentle person and never heard him lift his voice," she said. "It was his demeanor, yet he had such quiet enthusiasm for the musical groups he was in."

Gee founded what is now the Grand Traverse Pipes and Drums in 1974. He also was a charter member of two barbershop quartet associations in Traverse City — one from 1946 to about 1956 and the current Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, which organized in 1966. He also had a music store in Traverse City for 35 years and was long-time supporter of school music programs.

Gee entered a nursing home in February and was moved into hospice on June 1. During his eight days there, not a day went by without a musical performance by individual choir members, a barber shop group and others, said Marlene Speelman, a Congregational Church member who met Gee at church last October.

Peter Deneen, band teacher at East Middle School, described Gee as "a living piece of Traverse City."

Deneen, now finishing his 20th year of teaching, was in ninth grade when he met Gee after joining the bagpipe group.

"There will be a hole in the culture of Traverse City without him being at his earthly corner, but I'm sure Mel will be there watching on for eternity," he said.

The funeral service starts at 11 a.m. at First Congregational, followed by the burial service at Oakwood Cemetery.

Gee's full obituary ran in Sunday's newspaper and is online.

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