Joseph McKinney

Joseph Rawlins “Rawley” McKinney, 84, died on Friday, April 10, 2026, one day before the 62nd anniversary of his marriage to Angela Slact McKinney. In addition to Angela, his survivors include his sons, Rawlins Jr. of Birmingham and Merritt (Tom Bailey) of Nashville; his unofficial third son, Ilkka Jaakkola (Minttu) of Helsinki, the Finnish exchange student who lived with the family during the 1988-89 school year; his sisters, Jo Ellen Trammell of Big Canoe, Georgia, and Martha Formby of Dothan, Alabama; and his brother, Wesley McKinney of Eufaula, Alabama. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Evelyn McKinney, and his brother Chuck McKinney.

Born in Dothan, Alabama, on June 6, 1941, Rawley graduated from Dothan High School and received his B.A. in English from the University of Alabama, where he made lifelong friends in his fraternity, Kappa Sigma, and was lucky enough to meet Angela on a blind date. After their marriage in 1964, Rawley and Angela moved to Birmingham, where they lived until 1999, when Rawley retired after more than three decades in the insurance and risk management field. They then moved to Seagrove Beach, Florida, where they enjoyed a happy retirement for more than 20 years, welcoming visits from pre-retirement friends and nurturing the many new friendships they formed in Florida. They returned to Birmingham in 2021 to live closer to their sons. Rawley was a lifelong reader, writer, dog lover, golfer (until he “retired” from the sport at age 65—50 years after swinging his first club), and fan of Alabama sports (especially basketball). His friends in the First Monday Salon will miss the compilation of political cartoons he sent each week. In his retirement, Rawley became a regular cyclist and was quite proud that he still rode 10 miles three times a week on a non-electric bike into his 80s. He only stopped riding his bike after the sudden onset of pulmonary fibrosis in March of 2025.

The family is grateful to those who provided care to Rawley in the last few months, especially D’Andria from Always Best Care and Krista from Compassus Hospice.

A memorial gathering will take place later this year.

Donations can be directed to Alaqua Animal Refuge (https://alaqua.org/) or the charity of your choice.