Ralph Everette McKinney

Ralph Everette McKinney, born on September 4, 1933, passed away on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, December 13th at Sharon Baptist Church with Reverend Kevin Duncan officiating, with visitation beginning one hour prior to the service and other times at the home of Steve and Patricia Wright, 283 Wright Dairy Road, Reidsville. 

Ralph was born in Mitchell County to the late Farnum and Gertrude McKinney.

He was born and formed within the beauty of the NC mountains. Mitchell County, Bakersville in particular remained home to him no matter where he was. His young years, early 1930s helped create his resilient and strong spirit which always endured no matter what came his way. Though he loved his home there, he made his decision to join the Air Force after high school. He followed his dream to step away from his cloistered life within the Appalachian mountains. He excelled and even explored places unknown, such as France, Germany and Luxembourg. This experience set his course to becoming an aircraft mechanic. He was schooled at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, where he and Jean, his beloved wife, began lives together. Their children-Patricia, David and Matthew-soon came along.

His working career began at Piedmont Airlines in Winston-Salem. It was in that company’s exciting and pioneering days of the early 1960s. This life-enhancing vocation grounded him while he flourished, raising a loving family, alongside Jean. There were always family trips, always to the beloved mountain family, the coast and other adventures. He was a loving and dedicated son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and more. His special friend Carolyn was a wonderful companion in his later years after Jean’s death in 2010.

He so enjoyed trout fishing, trips to the coast to fish, annual son/father trips to Lake Mattamuskett. He loved gardening, especially when he and Jean could do that together. He always was willing to share the bounty with others.

His faith was steadfast mostly in the second half of his life. Jean’s deep and abiding faith bolstered his own. They spent much time in loving service in their church’s missions within areas of need. He kept a tight group of friends throughout his life. He truly cared about others, though it seemed during his last bit of his life he became more open and expressive about this.

His latter days as dementia crept in, we began to see the erosion of much of who we thought he was. With that falling away that was so difficult for him and for those who knew and loved him we also eventually came to a deeper understanding and experience of who he truly was. His heart, in his last weeks and days, was revealed as so tender and open as we watched him seeking God’s Grace for himself. Seeing the beauty of his soul and spirit shine after dementia had torn away much of who we thought he was has left us grateful beyond words. Those close to him felt even more the reality about who he was as the kind and good, loving and intelligent, strong and faithful child of God he is. He left that morning in the middle of a beautiful sunrise into the embrace of his beloved Savior.

Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife of 53 years Jean Bryant McKinney.

He is survived by his children, Patricia M. Wright (Steve); David McKinney (Arla); Matthew McKinney (Tangela); 6 grandchildren-Adam (Jessica), Shannon (Mike), Lauren (Matt), Casey (Cameron), Candace(Mike) and Lindsey, 10 great grandchildren Norah, Macon, Emma, Addy Grace, Estella, Atticus, Kassian, Noah, Bentley and Ace ; brother, Wayne McKinney sister, Barbara Wood; sister-in-law, Mary Cate; special friend, Carolyn Lasley, as well as a large and loving group of extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ancora Compassionate Care, P.O. Box 281, Wentworth, NC 27375  or Sharon Baptist Church, 3540 Iron Works Road, Reidsville, NC 27320.