November 11, 1947 - January 30, 2026
Terry McCune died peacefully surrounded by his loving family on January 30, 2026 after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Nancy McCune; step-daughter, Amber Lichens; son, Justin McCune; daughter-in-law, Ana McCune; grandsons, Justin Jr., Julius and Julian; brother, Michael McCune; sister-in-law, Lois McCune, and several nieces, nephews and cousins. He is proceeded in death by his parents, his sister, Patricia McCune, and his son, Kindred McCune.
Terry was born on November 11, 1947 to Hazel Louks McCune and Ralph McCune in Chicago, Illinois. The family moved to Hot Springs, South Dakota where Terry attended grammar and high school and completed his God and Country badge as a Boy Scout. Terry participated in sports throughout his school years as an All-Star athlete. He was the center on the basketball team, the quarterback on the football team, and the catcher on the baseball team. He also ran track and in the summer worked as a lifeguard at The Plunge in Hot Springs. After high school graduation he attended Dakota Wesleyan University and graduated in 1970 with a BA in Philosophy-Religion and Psychology.
After graduating from college, Terry married Anne Goodwin, also a Dakota Wesleyan student. In 1970, he attended Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, where he studied Pastoral Counseling. In 1971, Terry and Anne moved to San Francisco, where he attended another year at San Francisco Theological Seminary. He interned at a Methodist Church in the Haight Asbury, where he participated in officiating church services, which included assisting in the baptisms of his sons, Kindred in 1974 and Justin in 1978.
In the summer of 1989 he met Nancy Holley at CSAA where they both worked in the IT department. They were married on June 10, 1990 and purchased a home in Castro Valley, California where they resided with their daughter Amber. Throughout their marriage Terry and Nancy enjoyed making music together as a duo. They performed at various venues around the Bay Area and produced two CDs together.
In 1998, they bought property in beautiful Butte Creek Canyon near Chico, which they discovered when visiting Amber while she attended Chico State. In 2006, they realized their dream of building their home on the river and named it Rio Nido. In 2017, Justin his wife Ana and their three boys moved from the Bay Area to Rio Nido. One of Terry’s greatest joys was watching his grandsons grow up into fine young men, excelling in academics and sports.
Terry and Nancy continued making music together and for 15 years they provided the entertainment for the 49’er Fair Centerville Recreation & Historical Association fundraiser and many other fundraisers. They also hosted sold-out house concerts for many years featuring professional musicians. Terry was a wonderful, patient and supportive guitar teacher, teaching beginning guitar at Neal Dow Grammar School. He also had many other adult students over the years, including most recently his daughter Amber.
Terry was universally loved and respected by his friends, his neighbors and his family for his kindness, compassion, humor and humility.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring. . Terry helped built the stage for the Centerville Recreation & Historical Association and Colman Museum in Butte Creek Canyon and requested that any donations on his behalf be made to CRHA (centervillemuseum.com).