Natalie Dolores Mcbee

Natalie Dolores (Johnson) McBee, 102, passed away in her Torrance, California home on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Natalie was born in Colorado Springs on July 1, 1922, to Florence Garland (Eubank) and Arthur Emri Johnson. As a child, she lived on a cattle ranch in Kiowa, Colorado, and in Green Mountain Falls, Hartsel, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Natalie graduated from Hartsel High School and attended Colorado College where she earned a B.A. in Business Administration & Banking in 1943. During college, she joined Gamma Phi Beta sorority and remained active in the Southern California chapter. Upon graduation, Natalie worked at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, then modeled in newsreel advertisements for the Alexander Film Company in Colorado Springs.
Natalie moved to Southern California in 1949 with her husband, Lawrence Sessions McBee. In 1951, they settled in Torrance and started their family. Natalie started volunteering--teaching Sunday school, leading Girl Scouts, and supporting PTA and Little League activities. Her work life included teaching Stretch & Sew classes, starting her own business, Tees Her of California, making and selling golf dresses, and finally serving as a Project Group Controller for the Northrop Grumman Electronics Division from which she retired after 15 years.
Natalie was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Torrance. She was also an avid golfer for 57 years in Southern California, joining Alondra Park and Rio Hondo Women’s Golf Clubs, and Women’s Public Links Golf Association of Southern California. She also enjoyed ballroom dancing, competing in amateur competitions in California and other U.S. states.
Natalie was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence, her parents, and her siblings Fred Johnson, Bob Johnson, and Jeannine Rickert. Natalie is survived by her children, Karen, Janell, and Scott, and their families, as well as relatives of the Johnson and McBee families.
A family graveside service was held on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. In memory of Natalie and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the First United Methodist Church of Torrance, The Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, or West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.