Mark Hulsether McKee

Mark Hulsether McKee died on May 17, 2017. He was 26 years old. Born on April 26, 1991 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Anne McKee and Mark Hulsether, his short life blazed in ways that we are only beginning to comprehend. He moved through his world with wit, generosity, intellect, and song. He loved to climb the Smoky Mountains, to read and discuss philosophy with anyone he met, and to tend to the subtleties of human connection. And, most of all, he pursued his passion for music from the time he was able to hit things—making beats with his hands and feet, filling his home with rhythm. He wrote his first song as a toddler when the family moved from Minnesota to Tennessee; he titled it “Knocking on Knoxville” and belted his pun over and over while appropriating household furniture for drums. As a student at Beaumont Magnet Elementary and in Maryville City Schools, Mark flourished as a young artist. He learned the art of jazz trumpet and cultivated a work ethic that enabled him to pick up new instruments almost at will, as he complemented his primary instrument with piano, voice, percussion, and composition. His musical talents, combined with his curiosity about the mind, inspired him to study both music and psychology as an undergraduate at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He and a friend co-founded a band, Akrasis, which released three albums: Unemployed Apologist, God is My Autopilot, and Children Singing in Hell. (And we expect that right now he is performing to a raucous crew of angels). Upon graduating from college in 2015, Mark resided for a brief time in Maryville before he moved to Milwaukee, WI to be with his artist collective, Ruby Yacht. There he worked to compose a life that could integrate his many passions: music, social justice activism, critical thought, and the everyday commitment to caring for each person who crossed his path. The task was not easy, and indeed sometimes brought great pain, but in all of his strivings Mark clung to his burning desire to live a life that could find the good. This, his most acute quality, is his ultimate witness and a gift to his communities. Mark was preceded in death by his grandparents Harriet Hulsether, Lucia McKee Premo, Bert Premo, and John McKee. He is survived by his parents, Mark and Anne; his older sister Lucia Hulsether and younger brother Douglas Hulsether; his grandfather Charles Hulsether; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. We will miss his sweet, goofy smile that flashed when he walked through the door, the analytical intensity that he brought to all of his interactions, the long walks he took in the woods with us, the way he always made art out of his dinner leftovers, and—most of all—the harmony that his life brought to ours. The family will receive friends on Monday, May 22 from 5-7 p.m. at the Maryville College Alumni Gym, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23 at Church of the Savior UCC, 934 N Weisgarber Road, Knoxville, TN 37909. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mark’s honor may be made to the Knoxville Joy of Music School (http://www.joyofmusicschool.org), to Movement Generation (http://movementgeneration.org), to the ACLU Wisconsin (http://www.aclu-wi.org/community-education) or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service is handling the arrangements (1402 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville, TN 37803). 983-1000, www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mark Hulsether McKee please visit our Sympathy Store.