O. B. McKinney was born January 7, 1924, in Milltown, AR to Dorothy (Brown) and Sam McKinney. He died on May 27, 2020, at Mercy Hospital hospice after complications from a fall. O.B. is preceded in death by his beloved bride of 73 years, Betty (Wright) McKinney.
O.B. was the oldest of six children; three of whom have survived him: Evelyn Christian of Muskogee, OK, Marie Humphrey and Uneva Dulaney of Greenwood, Arkansas.
He is survived by his children: Joe, Robert, Richard, Dale, and Susan; their respective spouses: Elaine, Sue, Sandra, Becky, and Phil; nine grandchildren: John, Ben, Sarah, Elizabeth, Laura, Josh, James, Margaret, and Kathleen; twelve great-grandchildren: Aric, Devin, Ronnie, Grace, Shane, Aiden, Ian, Maddox, Miles, Audrey, Maggie, and Max
O.B. grew up in the Witcherville, AR, area and dropped out of school at 13 to take over the family farm while his father was away working on WPA sites. O.B. eventually worked on paying jobs like helping to construct the barracks at Fort Chaffee and the Old Rock Gym at Greenwood High School.
At 19, he was drafted into the Army Air Force. Serving in Italy, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant by the end of WWII. After the war, he decided to make the military his career in the newly created United States Air Force. He earned his GED and continued his training in food service. By the time he was 30, he was a Master Sergeant. He was appointed as a warrant officer as one of the technical experts in his field. He retired in 1966 as Chief Warrant Officer 4.
Returning to Greenwood in 1967, O.B. and his family had just settled into his Grandfather McKinney’s old home only to watch it be destroyed by the April 1968 tornado. So, they rebuilt. And as the family was rebuilding the property, O.B. was starting a new career as the food services director at St. Edward’s Mercy Hospital. He worked there for several years, overseeing the designs and plans for the new hospital which was dedicated in 1976. After leaving Mercy, he worked for RMB Produce, Greenwood Fixtures, and other organizations until his last retirement in his 70s. During his 70s, he drove the Disabled Vets van to transport veterans to and from their VA appointments in Fayetteville, AR.
O. B. was a charter member of the Harris-Hannah VFW Post 6527 and served as Post Commander several times over the years.
O. B. was elected to the Greenwood City Council in 1972 and served until 1999. He was instrumental in establishing the Greenwood Planning Commission and seeing to the fiscal health of Greenwood at a time of rapid growth and expansion.
He was a deacon at First Baptist Church for many years and later served at Westwood Baptist. A devout Christian, he taught Bible study classes for many years at both churches.
Besides his service to his country, church, and community, he was an exceptional gardener who provided food for many tables across the Greenwood area, and his produce often won prizes at the County Fair.
The last years of his life were spent in constant devotion and care to his wife Betty as her health failed. He dreamed of a reunion in Heaven with her since her passing in December. They are together again.
O.B. was buried next to Betty in a quiet graveside ceremony at Clarks Chapel Cemetery under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood.
In lieu of flowers, O.B. asked for donations in his memory to the River Valley Regional Food Bank or Clarks Chapel, P.O. Box 1121, Greenwood, AR 72936.
