Steve McVey

[Charles Duckworth]

Steve McVey passed away this morning due to a battle with pancreatic cancer. Steve started with the Missouri Pacific in 1968 after high school and retired from Union Pacific three years ago. Steve began is career on the White River as an agent-telegrapher working in the various depots along the line and when I met him, in 1976, he was a clerk at Carthage, MO. He became a manager at Carthage and worked in the field, at Atchison and Jefferson City, managing the customer service operations there. He was later transferred to St. Louis when customer service operations were centralized and later he and his family relocated to Omaha when the new building was completed. When Steve retired, he was Senior Director Work Order Operations having responsibilities for the work orders and interchange operations over the entire Union Pacific network. Steve was a dedicated manager, having both field knowledge and in-depth knowledge of how the TCS system processed work orders, waybills and interchange. I truly believe he knew more about the UP’s computer system than our programmers did.

Steve was a third generation MoPac railroader with both his grandfather and father being agents on the old White River Division. He also had numerous other relatives working for the Missouri Pacific.

Besides being a career railroader he was also an avid railroad enthusiast. He collected Missouri Pacific items, took slides and, after his diagnosis, donated much of his collection to the Missouri Pacific Historical Society archives. Steve was made a life time member of MPHS. He was also a life-long Cardinal fan. He is survived by his wife Sue and his sons Brian and Mark.

I was lucky enough to spend part of last Monday with him watching the DVD ‘Last Days of the Eagle’.

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