Wanda McGee
September 16, 1945 - January 29, 2026 (Age 80)
Wanda Francis Barnette McGee, 80, of Charlotte, NC, passed away on January 29, 2026. She was born on September 16, 1945, in Rutherford County, NC.
Wanda graduated from Garinger High School in 1965 and married the love of her life, Donald “Bear” McGee, that same year—she was 19, he was 17, and they began their life together with determination and devotion. After graduation, she worked at Kmart before joining The Charlotte Observer, where she spent nearly a decade in the print room.
After welcoming her daughter Neal, Wanda stayed home, later becoming pregnant with her daughter Sally. With two young children, she chose to run Bear’s construction company, managing it faithfully until his passing in 2008. That same year, she closed both the company and the thrift store she had operated.
Wanda lived a life defined by devotion, love, and patience. A longtime member of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, she taught the two‑year‑old Sunday School class for many years, pouring gentleness and joy into every child she met.
She loved thrifting, finding hidden treasures, and—above all—spending time with her grandchildren, who were truly her world. She fought through every health challenge with remarkable strength, driven by her love for them. Wanda is now reunited with Bear, the love of her life.
She will be remembered for her wit, her warmth, and the steady kindness she offered to everyone around her.
Wanda was preceded in death by her husband, Donald “Bear” McGee; her parents, Perry and Eldora Burnette; and her brother, Norman Barnette.
She is survived by her daughters, Wanda ONeal Locke of Oxford, NC, and Sally McGee of Charlotte; and her four grandchildren, Salem McGee and Tytus McGee of Charlotte, and Jonathan Locke and Ansley Locke of Oxford.
A graveside service will be held at 3:00 pm on Monday, February 9, 2026, at Sunset Memory Gardens, 8901 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill, North Carolina 28227. The Reverend Dr. John Harrill will officiate.