Coleman John Nee

Coleman John Nee of Chatham, MA and Bal Harbour, FL passed away peacefully on April 23, 2026, with his daughter Susan and son Coleman Jr. by his side. He was 93 years old. Coleman was born and grew up in Boston, the fourth of six children of Coleman Nee (his namesake) and Mary “Molly” (Cooke) Nee, both immigrants from Ireland. He attended St. Mary of the Assumption school in Brookline before getting a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Boston College and a master’s degree in finance from Babson College. He went on to have a distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service, serving at diplomatic missions around the world including Switzerland, France, Canada, Kenya and Poland and the United Nations. However, from an early age he always had a strong attachment to Cape Cod, particularly the town of Chatham. ` During high school and as a college student he spent his summers working on the Cape, first as a golf caddy at the Eastward Ho! and later as a bartender at the Chatham Bars Inn. He recalled serving drinks to many famous visitors, most notably Walt Disney himself, who enquired about the design of certain decorative fixtures behind the bar. At one point he had an opportunity to purchase The Squire, a popular watering hole in Chatham, but passed on it in favour of an international career. ` Shortly before leaving for his first assignment in Bern, Switzerland he was introduced to and later married Margaret MacIsaac (later Margaret Nee) of Schreiber, Ontario in Canada. Together they raised two children, Coleman and Susan, in Washington DC and at various diplomatic postings abroad.  Among the highlights of his career was his appointment to the Senior Foreign Service – the elite leadership corps of the Foreign Service and the primary drivers of American foreign policy, serving in high-stakes roles – and his secondment to the Executive Office of the President (the White House). Following his last assignment in Paris he retired to Cape Cod in 1997, first in Yarmouth Port and later in Chatham. After the passing of his beloved wife in 2009, he split his time for a number of years between London, England where his daughter Susan was living and Cape Cod, later dividing his time between Chatham and Miami Beach where his daughter had relocated. He spent many months of the year in Chatham including as recently as last Fall. Even when he was away, he always subscribed to the Cape Cod Chronicle to keep up with local events, looking forward to every issue right up to his final days.  One of his favourite things about living on the Cape was its excellent public library system, which he took full advantage of, spending many hours at the Eldrege Public Library in Chatham and taking an Italian language course at the branch in South Yarmouth. Coleman was an avid student of history, including the history of Chatham, and loved sharing his knowledge with family and friends. He also enjoyed discovering new culinary offerings on the Cape, from the latest restaurant to the newest bakery. Coleman remained mentally and physically strong until just before his passing and was always young at heart. He is survived by his daughter Susan Nee of Bal Harbour, FL and by his son Coleman Nee and his wife Sarah (Cameron) Nee of Geneva Switzerland; by his granddaughter Miranda (Nee) Mastracci and her husband Alberto Mastracci of Paris, France; and by his granddaughter Caroline Nee of Toronto, Canada.  He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends, who were all close to his heart. His funeral Mass will be held on June 20th at 9:00 AM at the Holy Redeemer Church in Chatham.