University mourns loss of 'Flyman'

Lee "Flyman" McNear touched many during his time at Penn. In a world of unpredictable cuisine and mystery meats, one thing at Stouffer Dining Commons remained consistently popular with students over the past nine years -- the Flyman. The death of Stouffer cook and server Lee "Flyman" McNear last Wednesday from a sudden heart attack has left students and fellow employees feeling a profound sense of shock and loss. McNear, 41, was remembered yesterday by friends, co-workers and students at a viewing at the Thomas A. Waite Funeral Home in West Philadelphia. Because the time and location of the viewing were not formally announced, few students were in attendance. But many more expressed their sadness at the loss of someone they had come to consider a friend. "He treated people with a lot of respect and kindness," College freshman Susan Myhr said. "He exemplified what it is to be a hardworking, honest person. I think he'll just be remembered as someone who was a people person and cared about making other other people's days better." College senior Ben Reynolds, an assistant student manager at Stouffer and one of the students who performed CPR on McNear when he collapsed while serving dinner Wednesday night, praised McNear for his ability to make people feel good about themselves. "I was the kind of guy whose name he never remembered -- he just kind of called me 'homey'," Reynolds said. "But no matter who you were he always made you feel special." College junior Alex Barfield, a student manager at Stouffer, said he will remember McNear as the first person who made him "feel at home" when he transferred to Stouffer from another dining hall. Adam Sherr, meal contract coordinator for Dining Services, said he was surprised by the huge outpouring from students, adding that those wishing to convey condolences to McNear's family can e-mail messages through to Sherr's account at adam@dining1.dining.upenn.edu. Fellow Stouffer employees praised McNear for his kindness and quirky sense of humor. "Lee was the type of person if you didn't know him, you'd get mad at the things he said," co-worker Allene James said. "But if you knew him, when he said crazy things you'd just laugh and say 'Aww, shut up Lee'." McNear -- who often got in trouble with supervisors for serving students extra entrees and for wearing tight pants -- panhandled for a while before coming to the University, according to one of his co-workers, Rita Henry. While panhandling after moving to Philadelphia from his home in North Carolina, McNear asked a local union president for money. Instead, the official got him a job in Dining Services, where McNear began working as a part-time pot-washer. Other employees noted his constant efforts to keep the staff laughing. James recalled asking McNear if he would help her remove some of the fish from the Bio Pond to keep as pets. McNear told her he would "just pet 'em in a frying pan," James said. Despite his light-hearted attitude and constant sarcasm, one student said McNear felt the pressure of having time pass too quickly. "Whenever I would come in on Monday and ask him, 'How was your weekend?" he would say, 'You know it went by too fast, man'," Barfield said. McNear's life, like his weekends, passed by too quickly. But for students and co-workers the time spent with him was a rare privilege. Representatives from the University's Counseling and Psychological Service will hold a counseling session at 5:15 p.m. tomorrow in Stouffer for anyone affected by his death. Similar events were held last week. McNear will be buried tomorrow in Whiteville, N.C., the home of his mother Willamina McNear. He is also survived by his father Arthur McNear, two children, four sisters, two brothers and his girlfriend, Judy Gilbert. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Beth Garstkiewicz contributed to this article.

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