Robert Magee, systems analyst and programmer

Robert J. Magee was proud of his collection of sports teams' caps, even though he never bought one himself.

Whether the caps were of hockey or football or baseball teams, "people would buy them for him," daughter Teri Van Fossen said.

And whether they were college or high school or minor league teams that his children and friends visited across the country, or his favorite, the Eagles, she said, the caps grew and grew "to well over a hundred."

On Wednesday, June 8, Mr. Magee, 83, of Cape May, a former systems analyst and programmer, died at the Aurora, Colo., home of his daughter, three weeks after emergency surgery.

Mr. Magee dropped out of John Bartram High School in Philadelphia to join an Army unit that, his daughter said, "built bridges and blew them up" in combat during the Korean conflict.

He returned to graduate from Bartram and to earn a bachelor's degree in education at Temple University.

His father, Charles, was a truck driver for the Inquirer, and when he retired, Robert Magee took over driving the same truck as his father, Van Fossen said.

She said her father was at the same time teaching at a South Jersey school, but ended his academic career when he realized "he made more as a driver than as a math teacher."

Then, for about 20 years until he retired in 1989, he was a systems analyst and programmer at what is now the Naval Support Activity facility in the Lawncrest neighborhood.

Besides his daughter, Mr. Magee is survived by his wife of 59 years, Gladys; sons Mike and Jim; a sister; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

A visitation was set from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 18, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 525 Washington St., Cape May, before a 10:30 a.m. Funeral Mass there, with interment in Cold Spring Cemetery, Lower Township.

Donations may be sent to any veterans' organization.

Condolences may be offered to the family at spilkerfuneralhome.com.

wnaedele@phillynews.com

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