Vicki McGrane passed away peacefully on March 10, 2025 after a long battle with frontotemporal dementia. Vicki was an adventurer, scientist, musician, and a selfless wife and mother whose only thoughts were for her friends and family. She was selfless and kind to all who knew her.
Vicki was born on September 22, 1954 in Kansas City, Missouri to Dr. John and Mary Weigel. As part of an Army family -Vicki lived in Colorado, Japan, Texas, Virginia and Kansas with her parents and younger siblings, John and Terry. They moved far and often, but supported each other as a family and grew close together.
Vicki graduated from Cherry Creek High School (Denver) in 1972 and attended Colorado State University, where she met her future husband, Pat McGrane. Vicki graduated in 1976 and Pat were soon married in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Vicki and Pat spent the next few years working seasonally and fervently exploring wildlands and summiting peaks from Mexico to Alaska. The friendships they made in those years have lasted decades and were a source of great comfort to both of them throughout Vicki’s recent physical decline.
Vicki achieved her Masters of Science in microbiology from Colorado State in 1985. She did research on insect borne diseases for the Institute of Arctic Biology (Fairbanks), Colorado State University (Fort Collins), and Zymogenetics (Seattle). Her work ultimately resulted in creating a vaccine for brucellosis in Alaskan reindeer, and progress in bio engineering mosquitos that could no longer carry malaria.
Vicki continued her professional work at the St. Luke’s Medical Center laboratory in Boise and retired in 2017. She made deep and lasting friends and connections who helped her stay social, active, and engaged with the Boise community.
Thank you to the many friends and family who have come to see her and comfort her over the past few years. Vicki passed away in her sleep on March 10 at Spring Creek Memory Care with Pat at her side.
Vicki is survived by her husband, Pat, and her sons Kevin and Neil.
A celebration of life gathering will be held on April 19 at 4:30 PM at Cassia Park, 4600 W Camas St, in Boise, ID.