Buddy McKinney, age 91, of Hamburg Road in Bakersville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2026, at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. A native of Mitchell County, he was the beloved son of the late Herbert and Biddie Buchanan McKinney.
Buddy retired as a truck driver from the American Thread Company in Marion, North Carolina. He was a devoted member of New Covenant Church In Christ in Marion and enjoyed repairing machinery, listening to music, and most of all, cherishing moments spent with his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Anna Belle McKinney; three sisters, Ruth Greene, Ebie Wyatt, and Betty Jean Bennett; and three brothers, Erby, Wilkie, and Lloyd McKinney.
Buddy is lovingly remembered by his daughter, Valerie McKinney Biddix and her husband Bruce of Spruce Pine; his son, Tony Allan McKinney and his wife Mariah of Black Mountain; three grandchildren, Nikki Lockwood and her husband David, Alex McKinney and his wife Amber, and Tyler McKinney and his wife Mattie; one great-grandchild, Jacob Lockwood; as well as several nieces and nephews. He also shared a special bond with his cherished pet, Rosie.
A memorial service to honor Buddy’s life will be held Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Roan Mountain Baptist Church, with Reverend Russell McKinney and Reverend Tony McKinney officiating. Friends and family are invited to visit with the family beginning at 10:00 a.m., one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of The Blue Ridge, 236 Hospital Drive, Spruce Pine, NC 28777, or to The Mitchell County Animal Rescue, PO Box 308, Spruce Pine, NC 28777.