Kenneth Macfie
October 7, 1921 — November 2, 2015
Kenneth (Ken) W. MacFie, a resident of Morningside House of Friendship in Hanover, MD, and formerly of Cumberland, MD, died November 2, 2015. He was preceded in death by his father, William MacFie, his mother Margaret (MacKenzie) MacFie and his sister, Lilias (MacFie) Hoblitz.
Born October 7, 1921 in Richmond Hill, New York, he grew up in Forest Hills, New York where he was active in Troop 22, Queens Council, BSA for ten years, serving as Assistant Scoutmaster the last several years. He was an Eagle Scout and a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow.
He graduated from Richmond Hill High School in 1938 and graduated from New York University, College of Engineering in 1944 with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Degree.
He was employed by Standard Oil Co. (Indiana) from 1944 to 1961 where he held technical and managerial positions. During WWII he worked on the Manhattan Project (development of the Atomic Bomb) while at Standard Oil in Whiting, IN. After moving to Cumberland, he was employed by the Aerospace Division of Hercules, Inc., working at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory as Supervisor of Process Engineering from 1961 to 1987, when he retired.
He was ordained a Deacon in 1957 and an Elder in 1959 in First Presbyterian Church, Seymour, IN. He joined the First Presbyterian Church of Cumberland, MD in 1962 and served three three-year terms as Elder/Trustee, each time serving as Clerk of Session.
He was a Registered Professional Engineer (Indiana), Emeritus member of the American Chemical Society, Emeritus member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and member of Tau Beta Pi, Chapter Epsilon, NY.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Molly (Lantau) MacFie, their daughter Lynn (MacFie) Greenfield and husband, David Greenfield of Chesapeake, VA, and son, William (Bill) MacFie and wife, Karen (Fletcher) MacFie of Pasadena MD. He is also survived by five grandchildren: Lauren (Greenfield) Anderson, Matthew Greenfield, Daniel Greenfield, Adriane MacFie, and Ian MacFie, as well as two great-grandchildren, Neal and Michael Anderson.
A private service for the immediate family will be held at a later time.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to the First Presbyterian Church of Cumberland MD, 11 Washington St., Cumberland MD 21502. Please note the donation is for “Special Ministries Committee in Memory of Ken MacFie”.