McPeake, a Tennessee native, was raised on a diversified grain and livestock farm and was active in 4-H and FFA livestock competitions. He owned Angus cattle continuously since 1970. McPeake earned a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee-Martin in 1968 and went on to work for the University of Tennessee Cooperative Extension Service. He earned a M.S. degree in 1974 (University of Tennessee-Knoxville) and a Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics (Michigan State University) in 1977.

From 1977-1990, McPeake served South Dakota and Oklahoma as a beef cattle breeding specialist. The University of Georgia (UGA) named him Professor and Head, Extension Animal Science in 1990 with program responsibility for Extension Animal Science, Dairy Science and Veterinary Medicine beginning in 1993. In 1997, he became Coordinator of Extension programs for the College of Agriculture-Natural Resources and Family and Consumer Sciences.

Since his retirement in 2005, he and his son Andrew have worked together to grow their Angus seedstock operation. McPeake was involved in many organizations, serving the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) in several capacities and was also affiliated with the American Angus Association, American Society of Animal Science, American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, Gamma Sigma Delta honor society, Alpha Zeta honor society, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, cattlemen’s organizations at local, state and national levels, the American Quarter Horse Association and the Mount Rushmore Masonic Lodge #220. McPeake passed away on December 18, 2020.