07/26/2021
Today we are honoring Hometown Hero Tony McGhee!
Picture a Central Florida outdoorsman, a big guy who’s happiest on the river or in the woods, or having a cup of coffee at the Big Rig, and you’ll have Sgt. Tony McGhee.
Born and raised in DeLand, McGhee, 60, had an uncle, Staff Sgt. Larry Griffis, who was an Army radio repairman in Vietnam. His uncle once explained all the components of the radio to a 13-year-old McGhee, who developed an interest in electronics.
When McGhee graduated from DeLand High School in 1979, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served 1980-86, and was in the Military Intelligence Corps. He studied intercept systems repair at Valencia College, and electronic warfare at the U.S. Army Military Intelligence School at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, graduating in 1981.
After his tenure at Fort Devens, McGhee served three years in SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe), Belgium, and regularly traveled throughout the NATO countries during his assignment.
His electronics training in the Army translated into civilian life. He has worked for companies such as Lockheed Martin. But it was at his job as an operations manager for Sprint Wireless where he met his future wife, Stephanie Shiko, in 2000.
Stephanie was in sales at Sprint’s Maitland office, and the two often worked together as a team. They both had been married before and had children who were approaching adulthood, so they took a little time to make their relationship formal. But in 2015, with Tony’s mother, Lunette, in attendance, they were married at the family’s big house near the St. Johns River in DeLand.
Tony and Stephanie have been married for six years now, and, between them, have seven grandchildren, ages 6-18, who are the joy of their lives. Tony McGhee retired seven years ago, and likes to go fishing with his 10-year-old grandson, while Stephanie works from home as a channel director for a telecom company.
McGhee, an avid ham radio operator, is a member of Volusia ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency System). It’s a group of licensed radio operators who volunteer providing communications for the public during disasters.
Tony McGhee was able to put his expertise to use in 2017 during Hurricane Irma. Volusia ARES set up a command post at Deltona High School, which was a designated shelter, and McGhee helped keep the lines of communications open.
Both Tony and Stephanie are members of the Elks Lodge of DeLand, which does a lot of service work, such as running a camp for kids in Ocala, and taking up collections for local homeowners who were hit by the tornadoes a while back.
Tony McGhee is also part of the Elks’ Veterans Committee, which, among other things, brings bingo to the Daytona Beach Veterans Affairs Hospital.
“I’m grateful to the U.S. Army for many things,” McGhee said. “For giving me the ability to serve our country, and for teaching me so many things, that have served me well.”
And then, there’s always the house. He and Stephanie’s 5-acre homestead means a lot to them. Tony had helped his father, Capt. Gene McGhee of the DeLand Fire Department, build it in 1977. It had slipped out of the family’s hands years ago. The house, with its great stone fireplace, came back on the market in 2009. Tony’s mother, Lunette, kept an eye out for news about it and was eager to get the property, which she had sold years earlier, back into the family. She noticed that the house had gone into foreclosure. Tony interceded and bought it back.
The home was the perfect place to start a new life, and it keeps the family busy. The grandkids have always called it “Granny’s house,” so if it had a name, that would be it. And that’s just fine with the McGhees.
To view this bio and others of all of our heroes go to: https://www.beacononlinenews.com/hometown_heroes_2021/
Thank you Tony for your service to our country!
