Gary Fredrick “Fred” McKinley
Gary Fredrick “Fred” McKinley
Coral Springs, Fla.
Gary Fredrick “Fred” McKinley, 83, of Coral Springs, Fla., formerly of Walker, Iowa, died Saturday, June 3, 2023, after a long illness. Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, June 10, 2023, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point, Iowa. Visitation will begin one hour prior. Burial: Walker Cemetery, Walker, Iowa.
Fred was born Oct. 16, 1939, in Walker, Iowa, the son of Clifford and Lola LeVelle McKinley. He married a second time to Shelley Robins McKinley on Aug. 26, 1984, in Bernardsville, N.J.
At the age of 17, he ventured off the family farm to join the army, where he was stationed in Germany. Upon returning home, he began his career in the shoe industry, working at Kinney Shoes. Fred would eventually be promoted to the corporate office in New York City, where he went from Assistant Buyer to Vice President and Executive Buyer. He received “Buyer of the Year” awards year after year leading to his biggest promotion yet as General Manager of Susie’s Casuals. He was well-liked and respected by his colleagues in NYC, and he was put in charge of the annual Christmas party because everyone knew he knew how to throw a party. Fred took over the company’s overseas operations in 1993 and relocated to Hong Kong with his wife, Shelley, and youngest daughter, Erica. After retiring early, they moved to Florida, where he enjoyed fishing, spending quality time with his family, mastering the art of barbecue, and always keeping the landscaping in his yard looking immaculate. Fred will be deeply missed by his friends and family.
Survivors include his wife, Shelley of Coral Springs, Fla.; children, Dawn (Paul) Southwick of Yardville, N.J., Gary (Melissa) McKinley of Overland Park, Kan., and Erica (Greg) Mueller of St. Louis, Mo.; grandchildren, Zachary Southwick and Max McKinley; siblings, Cheryl (Dan) Elsbernd of Walker, Iowa, Michael (Jean) McKinley of Sherrills Ford, N.C., and Tony (Mandy) McKinley of Walker, Iowa. In addition, Fred was loved by many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Janet Dudley.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Prostate Cancer Foundation: www.pcf.org.
Please share a memory of Fred at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.