Issue RESOLVED!
Turns out it isn't hardware, OS, or The BIOS.
My system can easily handle this, and her is how it was resolved:
Please read all the way to the end of my post, as there's some good tips and info I learned on my journey with this issue!
1.) Install grub-efi-ia32 (supports both MBR AND GPT).
Summary info:
2.) Optional: Install gptsync a kewl command line tool I liked, so I installed it. Reason: I wasn't sure if I would need it in a problematic situation.
Summary info:
3.) Installed gdisk for the same reasons as gsync. (handy in a crunch if things go wrong!).
Summary Info:
4.) Installed gparted (for some reason, the KDE partition manager didn't have the option in the devices menu to switch to a GPT partition. 
5.) Opened gparted.
6.) Clicked on the Devices menu.
7.) I selected GPT partition for that drive (NOTE: This step MUST be done BEFORE you do anything else, or it will not work!).
8.) Just to see if it could do it, I created an 8 Terabyte ext4 partition with a label called "Movies".
9.) SUCCESS!!!
Here's a screen capture of the end result in the partition manager:
Here's a screen capture of the partition in use:
Some Notes to dispel some of the myths and mysteries:
1.) I never needed the other optional programs listed above, but they are very handy tools if things go sideways and you need command line tools to help yourself out of any problems that might come up.
2.) for the record, I'm still booting from my original MBR partition using the grub-efi-ia32 instead of grub-pc, which is what came with my system originally.
3.) I read this well written and well thought-out post that really helped educate me (I highly recommend anyone who wants to learn more about this topic to read the link below.):
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
4.) Lastly, I want to thank everyone who responded to my post, there were many great thoughts an ideas I gleaned from all of you.
Turns out it isn't hardware, OS, or The BIOS.
My system can easily handle this, and her is how it was resolved:
Please read all the way to the end of my post, as there's some good tips and info I learned on my journey with this issue!
1.) Install grub-efi-ia32 (supports both MBR AND GPT).
Summary info:
Code:
GRUB is a portable, powerful bootloader. This version of GRUB is based on a cleaner design than its predecessors, and provides the following new features: - Scripting in grub.cfg using BASH-like syntax. - Support for modern partition maps such as GPT. - Modular generation of grub.cfg via update-grub. Packages providing GRUB add-ons can plug in their own script rules and trigger updates by invoking update-grub. This package contains a version of GRUB that has been built for use with EFI-IA32 architecture, such as the one provided by Intel Macs (that is, unless a BIOS interface has been activated).
Summary info:
Code:
gptsync is a utility to maintain an MBR partition table synchronised with a GPT partition table used as reference. The resulting MBR partition table can contain up to 4 partitions; extended partitions are not supported. An MBR partition table is required to use legacy bootloaders (lilo, grub) on EFI-based (Extensible Firmware Interface) machines like the Intel-based Macs. gptsync is usually used in combination with the rEFIt boot menu on such machines.
Summary Info:
Code:
GPT fdisk (aka gdisk) is a text-mode partitioning tool that works on Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) disks, rather than on the more common (through 2009) Master Boot Record (MBR) partition tables. Please note that gdisk is still in beta version.
5.) Opened gparted.
6.) Clicked on the Devices menu.
7.) I selected GPT partition for that drive (NOTE: This step MUST be done BEFORE you do anything else, or it will not work!).
8.) Just to see if it could do it, I created an 8 Terabyte ext4 partition with a label called "Movies".
9.) SUCCESS!!!
Here's a screen capture of the end result in the partition manager:
Here's a screen capture of the partition in use:
Some Notes to dispel some of the myths and mysteries:
1.) I never needed the other optional programs listed above, but they are very handy tools if things go sideways and you need command line tools to help yourself out of any problems that might come up.
2.) for the record, I'm still booting from my original MBR partition using the grub-efi-ia32 instead of grub-pc, which is what came with my system originally.
3.) I read this well written and well thought-out post that really helped educate me (I highly recommend anyone who wants to learn more about this topic to read the link below.):
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
4.) Lastly, I want to thank everyone who responded to my post, there were many great thoughts an ideas I gleaned from all of you.
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