Philip Morris McKinney, a beloved public servant and community leader, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 21, 2024, at the age of 83.
Phil was a celebrated high school teacher and coach for Mitchell County, North Carolina schools for more than 30 years.
He was born at home in the Mine Creek community of Bakersville, NC, on December 7, 1940, to Wilson Sanford McKinney and Rena Grindstaff McKinney.
In that community, Phil’s lifelong passions for family, nature, and the game of basketball first developed. He is preceded in death by his father, mother, and three brothers, Kenneth McKinney, Leo Pat McKinney, and Bruce Floyd McKinney.
Phil graduated in 1959 from Bowman High School in Bakersville, NC, where he was an accomplished player in several sports. His talents earned him admission to the Bowman High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He later earned degrees from Asheville-Biltmore Junior College in Asheville, NC, and Berea College in Berea, KY, where he met the love of his life and wife of 60 years: Helen Yvonne McKinney of Hazard, KY.
As a teacher, Phil educated thousands of students and imbued a love of reading and composition into the lives of so many that entered his classroom. Phil’s proficiency as an educator was renowned, as demonstrated by his selection as a finalist for the North Carolina Teacher of the Year award. During his coaching career, Phil amassed more than 220 wins across 19 years as Head Coach of the Boy’s Basketball team at Harris High School in Spruce Pine, NC, and later Mitchell High School in Ledger, NC. He was selected as a Head Coach for the 1975 North Carolina Blue-White All-Star Game, and as an Assistant Coach for the 1979 North Carolina East-West All-Star Game. To commemorate Phil’s coaching achievements, Mitchell High School, in 2018, named its basketball court “Phil McKinney Court” in his honor.
Outside his professional life, Phil was widely known as an avid dry-fly fisherman. There are likely very few streams on Grandfather Mountain or Roan Mountain in which Phil did not catch and release countless rainbow, brown, or speckled trout. Because he was an educator through-and-through, Phil also forged many cherished friendships while teaching others to fly fish.
Phil was a member of Berry Chapel Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, NC, for more than 50 years. Among his other accomplishments, he served as chair of the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners from 1996 to 2000, and was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Paul E. Patton of Kentucky.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, two sons, Cody McKinney, and wife Sherry, of Spruce Pine, NC, and Joe McKinney, and wife, Melanie, of Louisburg, NC, nephew, Norb McKinney, and wife Janice, of Burnsville, NC, and grandchildren Davis McKinney, Sarah Grace McKinney, Dane McKinney, Dexter Boone, Brock McKinney, Brancyn McKinney, and Brooklyn McKinney.
A memorial service will be held for Phil at Mitchell High School on Saturday, June 29, 2024. An opportunity to offer support, share memories, and receive friends beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a funeral service beginning at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Food Ministry at (828) 592-4089 or www.nfnfoodministry1.com.
Words of comfort may be e-mailed to the family by going to the website; www.webbfh.com, selecting Phil McKinney’s name and then you may sign his guestbook.
Webb Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements for Mr. McKinney and is honored to be serving the McKinney family.
Mr. McKinney’s obituary has also been posted on Facebook for viewing.
