James B. Macrae

James B. MacRae, Jr., 73, of Schellsburg, died on July 15, 2014 at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, from complications of a bone marrow transplant for leukemia.  Before retiring and moving to Bedford County in 1996, he had a distinguished career in the Federal Government, beginning as a Foreign Service Office in 1963 and moving to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 1971.  He had executive responsibilities on both the budget and regulatory offices of OMB, overseeing the Administration's $40 billion budget for the Department of the Treasury and the General Services Administration and later serving as Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, reviewing and clearing all executive agency regulations and forms.  From 1978 to 1980 he left OMB to direct the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs of the Health Care Financing Administration.  He then returned to OMB for the rest of his career.  He received both the highest and the second highest Presidential Rank awards for the Senior Executive Service.

After retirement Jim became an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University Law School.  He was also active in Bedford county soccer, both as president of the Bedford County Soccer Club and as volunteer soccer coach at Chestnut Ridge High School.  He served for several years as president of Bedford County Habitat for Humanity and oversaw the construction of the first two Habitat houses. He also served with several other budget experts on a budget study group requested by the County Commissioners and assisted the Chamber of Commerce for Leadership Bedford County.  In recent years he was one of the founders of Tractorfest, an annual Schellsburg event raising money for the Shawnee Valley Fire Company

He was born on December 28, 1940, in Wilmington, N.C., and moved with his family at the age of seven to Lincoln University in West Chester County, PA.  He was a graduate of Haverford College.  He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Nancy, of Schellsburg;  a son, James Robertson MacRae of Philadelphia, and wife Suzanne Biemiller;  a daughter, Dr. Katherine MacRae Dell of Cleveland and husband Dr. Michael Dell; four grandchildren:  Michael James Dell, Thomas Dell, Caroline MacRae, and Jane MacRae; and a brother, Powell K. MacRae of Philadelphia.

A Memorial Service will be held, Saturday, September 13, 2014, at 11:00 a.m., at the Bedford Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Doug Friant officiating.  Inurnment at Schellsburg Cemetery.  Friends will be received from 10:00 a.m., until the hour of the service at the church.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Jim's memory to Westtown Friends School, 975 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA 19382.  Arrangements by the Timothy A. Berkebile Funeral Home, in Bedford.  Our online guestbook is available at www.berkebilefuneralhome.com