James J. McGhee, mortician

James J. McGhee Jr., 84, owner from 1965 to 1988 of the Bucks County funeral home that still bears his name, died of Parkinson's disease Wednesday, Jan. 26, at his home in Upper Southampton.

Upper Southampton Township named him its citizen of the year in 2008, said his son, John.

Born in Kensington, Mr. McGhee graduated from Frankford High School in 1944 and served as an Army Signal Corps radio operator in Germany during World War II.

He graduated from Eckels College of Mortuary Science in 1949 and earned his Pennsylvania funeral director's license in 1952.

After working for the former J.W. Dean & Sons Funeral Home, Mr. McGhee and his wife, Isabelle, opened the James J. McGhee Funeral Home at its current location, Second Street Pike and Belmont Avenue in the Southampton section of Upper Southampton Township.

His son said his parents bought the property from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, for which it had served as the rectory.

Mr. McGhee was a Bucks County deputy coroner from 1968 until 2000 and a member of the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association.

He was president of the Bucks County Funeral Directors Association, president of the Huntingdon Valley Lions Club in the 1960s, and president of the Southampton Lions Club in the 1970s. Lions Club International honored him for 50 years of service.

He was a parade marshal for Southampton Day, and a football and basketball coach there.

Besides his wife and son John, Mr. McGhee is survived by sons James J. III and Joseph, and eight grandchildren.

A viewing was scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at James J. McGhee Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass was set for 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 611 Knowles Ave., Southampton.