Jerry was a fine and decent person. Had many interactions with him while I served as Region 1-A Veterans Council Co-Chair. He will be missed. My condolences to his Family.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. Jerry was one of the first Veterans I met when I joined the UAW Region 1 Veterans Council. It seems almost impossible to think that Jerry won't be around anymore to help with the many Veterans causes that he helped out with over the years. To Carolyn, Victoria and Jerry, Jr, please accept my deepest sympathy.

Jerry L. McKinney holds the honor of our first and only Veterans Chaplain to date for Region 1 Veterans Council. Jerry will be truly missed, he was always willing to lend a helping hand, which made our events and fundraisers a great success. We share the McKinney familes loss.

God Bless you during this time of bereavement.

Rest in peace Jerry, Veterans are comrades forever. Thanks for your service to our nation. May God bless your family and comfort them during this time of sorrow

I first met Jerry at the Region One UAW Chaplaincy meetings where he served as Treasurer. He will be missed by many and I wish to pay respects on behalf of those at Local 400 as well. The Bible states "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted". Matthew 3:4

November 25, 2012 at 9:25 am my father passed from this world after a battle with cancer. He passed quietly and with dignity. He is with our Lord and I will see him again, free of pain and laughing with joy. In the year 1942, when WWII was raging and the cost of Coca-Cola was 5cents, Jerry McKinney was born. As a son of Ohio, he was raised by his parents in the city of Hamilton and spent the summers at his uncle farm in Kentucky. During the years of 1960-1964, my father proudly served in the United States Air Force. In the summer of 1962, at a dance hosted at the Selfridge Air Force base in Harrison Township, Michigan â a handsome, young man finally worked up the nerve to approach a beautiful, young student nurse. He took her hand and asked her to dance. With that, somewhat, awkward exchange between two nervous young people, a love of a lifetime was born. A love that has endured 51 years, 47 of which spent in a beautiful marriage. My fatherâs love for his wife was a full and sentimental love, rich with devotion that is rare and a love I feel honored to have witnessed in my lifetime.
In those 47 years of marriage, they shared their love for one another, their love for their children, their love of God, their love of their country and their love for travel and family history. Through the years, my father became interested in many things. He was a self-described simple man with simple tastes and enjoyed simple things. He loved to help others, particularly homeless veterans. He served for many years as a veteranâs chaplain and devoted over 25 years ministering to youth at Calvary Baptist Church in Hazel Park, Mi. He liked to fish, camp, collect trains, volunteer in union functions, boating and travel with his family. He was an avid fan of westerns. Dad knew every western television show and movie made. His heroes were of amazing standing, such as John Wayne and Roy Rogers. With his children, he was loving, gentle and always filled with pride and joy with each accomplishment and milestone and made sure he was involved in our activities and interests. As kids, we could always count on seeing his, and Momâs, face at our events and activities. Whether at Vickyâs science fair and choir events, Jerry Jr.âs Boy Scout meetings and orchestra concerts, he was always there, without fail, to support, encourage, applaud and cheer us on. Dad was our biggest fan. This past May, he became a father to Paul, my husband whom he loved dearly. During our childhood and adult failures and struggles, of which there were many, he was quick with a word of advice, encouragement and support. Dad always encouraged and taught me to pick my battles. He tried to teach us the important things in life and tried to guide us away from the trivial. Mostly, he succeeded. If there was one word to pick to describe my Dad during my lifetime it would be the word: Present. He was always there, always present with warmth, love, pride and joy. Between his love for his Lord, wife and children, Dad had precious little time for else in his life â except for the work he did to provide for his family. In retirement, those work hours were used to help others in need. In working to help prepare for Dadâs services, I have talked to many people â co-workers, family, and friends and it is clear that Dad was well-liked, respected and well-regarded in his life by both his family and peers. I am proud of my Dad.
I am proud of the way he loved my mother.
I am proud of the house that he built.
I am proud of the way he loved and cared for his children.
I am proud of the way he loved and cared for fellow veterans.
I am proud of the way he served his country.
I am proud of the father that he was.
I am proud of the man that he was.
I am proud of the way, by daily example, he taught me the lesson of unconditional love and the importance of family. That is his legacy. He is, and will be, greatly missed by all. xoxo

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the McKinney family. Jerry will be truly missed by all. I'm sure he's already taken over the coffee mess in heaven, God Bless Jerry and his Family. I also want to convey the deepest sympathies of the UAW Region 1 Veterans Council where Jerry served as our Chaplain for as long as I can remember.

Thank You for your service Jerry. Death is no emeny to man but a friend that just cuts the cord when the work and purpose of life in done.

Jerry has been a great advocate for homeless and needy Veterans throughout tri-county area. His determination to carry out the motto of the Southeastern Michigan Veterans Stand Downâs (Giving âa hand-upâ not âa hand outâ to our Homeless Veterans) has changed the lives of countless Veterans. I am sure that he will be a guiding light for all Veterans going to Heaven. On behalf of the Board of Directors and myself our prayers go out to you (Jerry), your family, and your friends. You will be missed my friend.

What differentiates âDadâ from âFather â His sonâs perspective. Many folks may have a conception of the perfect father â or rather the âideal fatherâ or âmanâ. In my short time on this planet, I can attest â that image or ideal generally only holds true in a very few circumstances and certainly is not what the media or public would have you believe as the best or perfect father. In my eyes, my Father did not fit the role of what society glamorized as âDadâ. We never played catch, played sports, or did what most would consider the macho â Dad/Son roles and activities â but none the less â he was perfect to me. And although he wasnât a blue-blooded, college educated individual of society that never mattered. He was unequivocally the true meaning of âDadâ. To this day I guess most of my education, ability, candor and âsavoir faireâ originates from my Motherâs side. That said, without âDadâ I wouldnât be able to appreciate those gifts while his support and encouragement over the years was never in question. Dad always knew when to speak up, and when to reserve opinion in favor of what I wanted to do. Never discouraged by the man for my choices in life, he always looked upon me with the same loving eyes and show of compassion. From as far as I can remember, Dad never once lifted a hand or âbeltâ when I misbehaved as a child. Punishment was typically swift, but usually resulted in a simple grounding or revoking of privileges. As I look back, the way he fathered me built a lot of character, and took a lot from him to do as well as it was uncharted territory from the way he was raised as a boy. The years went on like this, and while my misdeeds continued to test my parentâs patience â Dad was consistent. The end results always appeared the same. I can remember the day he came home to find the family car was damaged from an accidental mishap. Fearing the worst, I was surprised when his voice stayed level and assertive. We got it fixed, moved on and no belt was brought out or act of capital punishment exhibited. After college as with many relationships, we rather moved apart. While I tried to spend time with him, there were just never enough hours in the day. Triggered by the unexpected passing of his brother and several other relatives, my interest in the family legacy and history had blossomed through both a sense of urgency and regret. Knowing I wouldnât have much opportunity to get the history verbatim, I took him on a trip to the family homestead in rural Kentucky. Braving the snakes, critters and every other creature mother often resolutely feared, we toured the back wooded hillsides of several Kentucky Mountains to find the old family homestead, and many undiscovered graveyards. The existence of many were unknown to him, and the pinnacle event was my unveiling of his 2nd Great Grandfatherâs James Boyd McKinney gravesite with associated in-laws. The culmination of the trip was continued on through the Smokey Mountains, and then back home. We saw a lot of beautiful autumn vistaâs and had some good laughs. To me however, the best part of the trip was being there with him, and seeing the glint of his youth appear in his eyes as the stories and history were expressed. I wish I could have recorded it on video, but alas my memories are the only thing beyond photographs which survive. I always thought Dad was grateful of that trip, and the trip down memory lane I had afforded him during his final years. Most importantly, the happiness for me will always have been opportunity to experience it together as âDad and Sonâ more so than âFather and Sonâ -Jerry McKinney Jr.

Sharing in the pain of losing someone so dear to your soul! We pray with you and celebrate with you Jerry's life. Praying that you feel the arms of God around each of you today and everyday. Much Love Ray and Peggy

Jerry was my friend and fellow Veteran. We went to many events together and had lots of fun doing them. Jerry was a member of the Southeastern Michigan Stand Down Inc. as a Trustee, He has worked the Stand Down for Homeless Veterans for many years. Jerry was also a member of the UAW Region 1 Veterans Council for as long as I can remember. I will miss him very much, I loved him as my brother. God bless him and his wonderful family always.

OBITUARY

Jerry Lee McKinney

January 3, 1942 – November 25, 2012

D.S. Temrowski and Sons Funeral Home

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