Helen Elizabeth McKinney

Mrs. Helen E. McKinney, age 90, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Helen was born on March 16, 1929 in Syracuse, New York, the daughter of the late William Keefe and Elizabeth Quirk Keefe.

Following her high school graduation from St. John the Evangelist, Helen attended Syracuse University receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education. She was awarded Student Teacher of the Year her senior year. While employed by the Ilion, NY school district as the girls physical education teacher for grades K-12, she met and married the love of her life, Leonard E McKinney and the two shared fifty-eight wonderful years together raising their children and enjoying ballroom dancing, traveling, and sports. Her mother was from Ireland and Helen took great delight in discovering and visiting her Irish cousins. Helen played golf both competitively and for for recreation. She was a wonderful mother to her three children and a friend to many. In retirement, she was a hospital volunteer and literacy teacher. Those who knew Helen know of her warm heart, intelligent wit, interest in global matters and her keen human observations. She touched many people in a positive way and will certainly be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Along with her parents she was preceded in death by her husband Leonard and son, Daniel.

She is survived by two children, Catherine McKinney, husband Walter Dowis of Decatur, Georgia and Mark McKinney, wife Tracey Cosgrove of Hartsdale, New York.

Her funeral mass will be held at 1:30pm on Friday September 13 at All Saints Catholic Church, 2443 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody, Georgia.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, 400 Salt Springs Road, Fayetteville, NY.

Please visit www.roswellfuneralhome.com to share memories and leave condolences with the family.