Kathy McGee Burns
By S.E. Burns
When she was a child, Kathy McGee Burns had a close relationship with her uncle, Hugh McGee. Their bond never wavered, even after a business rift between her father and his brother tarnished the brothers’ relationship. When Kathy was in her early thirties, married, with nine children, her beloved uncle fell ill with lung cancer. She visited him at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, and it was here that he gave her a mysterious message. At the end of her visit, she told him that she would come back to see him the following week. Her uncle said: “Don’t forget, and if they tell you I am gone…don’t believe them.”
The next message she got from her uncle came, unbeknownst to her, after his death. “One night my dead uncle appeared by my bedside,” says Burns, who is former president of the Donegal Association and the next president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Committee.
As someone with a strong interest in the paranormal—and, in the interest of full disclosure, Kathy’s daughter-in-law—I was impressed with how fearlessly Kathy shared her story and how much it sounds like other stories I have read and heard about people whose strong connection in life survives the death of one. But that’s part of Kathy’s philosophy—to not be afraid to contemplate the unfathomable and embrace every experience that life sends her way, however perplexing it may seem.
Recently, we sat down at her kitchen table to talk about her experience with the man she called Uncle Hughie.
Can you describe your uncle’s appearance and where exactly you encountered him?
My uncle appeared at the foot of my bed. It was 1 in the morning and I woke up to see him there. He looked like he did when he was a young man.
What were you feeling at this moment?
I was not startled. I knew he was dead and was appearing to me, so I wanted to ask him what it was like…being dead. He said he didn’t have time to tell me.
How did he communicate to you?
We communicated without speaking. We knew what the other was feeling and thinking.
What was the purpose of his visit?
He asked me to tell my Aunt Mary that he loved her (they did not have a happy marriage at the end). He said there was money hidden in the house and where to locate it. I specifically looked at the clock after he left me. It was 1 AM. I woke my husband Mike, and told him Uncle Hughie had just been there and what he said. Neither one of us was surprised. Maybe we should have been, but it seemed very natural to me. My mother called me at 8 AM. When I answered I said, ‘I know Uncle Hughie is dead.’ I asked her his time of death and she said 1 AM. I told her of my experience and she became furious with me and told me not to say a word to anyone. My family was very uptight about those kinds of things.
Why do you feel he chose you to share this with?
He chose me because we were very close. He and Aunt Mary had no children for a long time. My father and he were in business together and they lived seven houses away from us. I was always down at their home, visiting or staying the night. I loved him very much. He served in World War II, in Iwo Jima. My aunt moved to Norfolk, Va. to be able to see him. Since she was alone there, my brother Timmy and I took turns staying with her.
Have you ever felt his presence since this encounter?
I have never felt his presence around me again. He said he would come back and tell me what it was like, but he didn’t.
At what age did you feel comfortable enough with yourself to share this story?
I have always felt comfortable talking about this. I was a precocious child. I was always embarrassing my mother. I eventually told my aunt about the money and she found bank books exactly where he said they were.
If possible, is there one living person you would visit after you pass and why?
It goes without saying that I would love to visit my family, but if I were to only pick one person, it would be Denise Foley [editor/writer for www.irishphiladelphia.com].
For several reasons: She “gets” it. She is a wonderful woman with a deep spirit. She and I would be laughing our heads off. I could do some writing for the internet…IrishHeavenPhiladelphia.com.
Editor’s Note: Denise Foley edited this story and found the surprise ending very scary. Happy Samhain!
