Calumet City names library cafe after late IT consultant, mayoral campaign manager

Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones said he’ll never forget he first time he saw Rob McGee about 30 years ago sitting at a cafe at South Suburban College. Jones said McGee would have thought the Wednesday ceremony naming the Calumet City Public Library cafe in his name was beautiful.

The McGee Cafe will be in the east wing of the library as a place for people to socialize over refreshments, according to a news release.

“Him and I talked about the cafe because we wanted to expand young people’s learning by bringing a Google coding program to the library and expanding library technology, but also make it inviting,” Jones said. “It’s our vision to bring that, and it’s a beautiful library cafe.”

Jones said McGee was his “brother, father and best friend” all in one person. McGee ran an information technology business, Jones said, and as a consultant helped Calumet City pivot from using typewriters and keeping paper records to using updated technology.

McGee, 50, died Oct. 6, 2022, at City Hall while teaching officials about an IT system integration, Jones said. McGee was diagnosed with chronic heart failure in March 2020, said his daughter Tia McGee, and he died of a heart attack.

“He didn’t suffer. He passed peacefully,” Jones said.

Growing up, McGee moved between Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood and Harvey, his daughter said. He had 10 siblings, she said, and was married nearly 22 years to Latrice. They had two children, Tia and R.J. McGee.

In the mid 1990s, Jones said he was president and McGee was vice president of the Thornton Township Democratic Organization. When Jones ran for Calumet City alderman in 1997, McGee was his campaign manager, a role he continued when Jones ran for mayor and state representative.

“He loved knocking on doors. He loved talking to people. He loved campaigns and politics,” Jones said. “His character, his charisma and his passion always shined when he talked to people.”

Tia McGee recalled her dad visiting during her junior year at Syracuse University, wearing Syracuse gear from head to toe: a baseball cap, T-shirt, athletic socks and slides with “Cuse Dad” written on them.

“I was just so mortified because I was just like ‘Oh my God, Dad. You’re making me look like I’m a freshman,’” she said.

Her brother played basketball for Tulane University, she said, and her father would also go to games wearing the school’s green color.

“He just loved to support us, and he was just so proud of us,” Tia McGee said.

She said she’ll miss most the comfort her father brought and his advice. He guided the decisions she and her brother made, from sports to which college to attend, she said.

Tia McGee said she was overwhelmed Wednesday to see the community come together to honor her father and his family.

“The hole in our family is so large now that he’s no longer here,” she said Thursday. “Yesterday really showed me what Dad meant for other people and it showed me how loved he was, not just by our family but the community.”

Jones said he’ll miss McGee’s advice, laughter and calming presence.

“He could walk into a room and calm things down, not only with his smile, his charm but his advice. His advice was always on point,” Jones said.