James R. McKinney ’59 was born May 20, 1934, and died on Sep. 24, 2020, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center following a brief illness.
Dr. McKinney graduated from Loma Linda University in 1959 and completed his medical intern year at White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He married Phyllis Moyers in 1961 after launching his medical and surgical practice at Takoma Hospital in Greeneville, Tennessee.
Dr. McKinney’s lifelong dream of becoming a doctor began after experiencing double pneu- monia at age 6; he was awed by the compassion his doctor exhibited while saving his life. After Dr. McKinney finished medical school, he joined Leroy E. Coolidge ’16-aff at Takoma Hospital, planning to work for one year before returning to California for more training. That year turned into a span of 58 years of medical practice in Greeneville at Takoma Hospital and Medical Group. Dr. McKinney loved his patients, and they in turn loved him.
He was active in the community and in his Seventh-day Adventist church. His love of music and church was also combined in a long running annual series of family Christmas concerts in memory of his son, Barry.
Dr. McKinney was preceded in death by his son, Barry Allen McKinney; sister, Billie Jean McKinney; and parents, Eura and John McKinney.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; son and daughter-in-law, J. Mark ’87 and Barbara Chase McKinney ’88; daughter, Karen Brown (Ervin); grandchildren; Joshua (Julie), Caleb (Lauren), Nikoli Brown, Jordan Brown, and Gabriel Brown.
(Source: Family of Dr. McKinney)