January 12, 1945 – July 7, 2025

Margaret (Peggy) Crile McKee, MD, a physician and pulmonologist who devoted much of her career to caring for Native Americans in Arizona, passed away after a long struggle with cancer near her home on the shores of Lake Tahoe on July 7, 2025.

Peggy was both a highly accomplished medical doctor and a deeply spiritual person who explored her own Christian traditions as well as those from non-western sources. In her later years, she was simultaneously a Reiki master and the treasurer of St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in Glenbrook, NV.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 12, 1945, Peggy was always brilliant. She was valedictorian of the 1963 class at Chagrin Falls High School. She then majored in mathematics and graduated with honors from the College of Wooster. She earned her medical degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, went on to a residency in Harlem and then completed a fellowship in pulmonary disease at New York Presbyterian Hospital. As a physician for the Indian Health Service, Peggy spent many years in Arizona, treating a wide range of patients. She came to love Native American artwork, acquiring many pieces that she carefully preserved in her home.

As she approached retirement, Peggy moved to Zephyr Cove in a home that overlooked Lake Tahoe. She became active in her local church, and she took on a wide range of new hobbies. She had already travelled widely, including to India, Peru, and Japan. Spurred in part by her mathematical background, she learned to trade stock options and eventually enjoyed significant success. She also became adept at designing and welding jewelry, sometimes giving friends intricate earrings and pendants, and she delighted in making spectacular chocolate confections. Along with her many friends in Tahoe, she relished opportunities to hike to Lake Winnemucca and other local gems.

A life member of the Sierra Club, Peggy was an elected member of the Executive Committee of the Tahoe Area Group for two years.

Peggy is survived by her brother Dwight McKee, her sister-in-law Jill, and nephews and nieces.

She is also survived by her church family at St. John in the Wilderness on the Galilee campground, where a celebration of her life will be held Saturday, July 26 at 11 a.m.