Peirce and his wife Jo Ann McKee outside their Orinda Woods home. Peirce just celebrated his 50th year with the Rotary Club of Orinda.
It’s hard to imagine a Rotary Club of Orinda meeting without Peirce McGee in attendance. The 91-year-old joined the club in 1970. “I was told it would be good for my business,” he said. “Given the number of hours I’ve spent on Rotary projects over the years, I probably could have found a more efficient way to grow my investment advisor business. But, I haven’t really been a part of Rotary for what it could give me. The club’s philosophy is about how to help others and that’s what’s kept me involved all these years.” McKee is especially fond of Rotary’s Field Day, where the club hosts intercity youth to a day of fishing at San Pablo Reservoir.
McKee moved to Orinda in 1965 and has seen the city and Orinda Rotary change dramatically over the years. “Rotary certainly changed when we included women as members in 1987. Our leadership is shared equally by men and women now, and all for the better. I do miss the trips to Reno we used to make on the train to meet with the Reno Rotary Club, but it just got too expensive.” McKee, who was named Citizen of the Year in 1989, just retired in 2016 and still keeps active in Rotary. “Now that our meetings are on Zoom, it’s easier for more members to attend,” he added.
