Andrew McKinnie, Jr.

Obituary For Andrew McKinnie, Jr.

Andrew McKinnie, Jr., 88, of Fuquay-Varina, NC, passed on August 9, 2023, at UNC Rex Healthcare in Holly Springs, NC.

Andrew was born to Andrew McKinnie, Sr., and Minnie Jones McKinnie on March 10, 1935, in Wake County, North Carolina. He united in Holy Matrimony with Dorothy Williams McKinnie. To the union, two children, Elliott and Lisa were born.

Because he was an excellent student, Andrew was accepted into Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. However, before his dad died, Andrew promised to care for his mother. The dutiful son, he honored his promise to his father, stayed with his sick mother and helped her throughout her life until she passed.

Post-high school, he served honorably in the United States Army in Germany. Later, he attended Wake Technical College. With an exceptional analytical and mechanical aptitude, he was trained in the tool and die trade. He went on to Rockwell International to successfully work for twelve years.

He was hired to work for Guilford Mills as the first Black person to work in a hiring position. There, he helped many Black people find jobs.

He would later attend and finish Heavy Equipment Driving School and go on to found and own the successful company bearing his family name, McKinnie Trucking Company.

Many young people held him as a mentor in mechanics, building, farming, and cooking because Andrew was wise and knowledgeable about many different trades and the world.

Spiritually, he was a member of the Douglas Chapel Methodist Church in Holly Springs, NC. He joined the church at an early age. He loved and served the Lord throughout his life and was a member of the choir and on the trustee board for as long as his health allowed him to serve.

He was a strong man who never complained about life’s ups and downs. When things broke, he fixed them. When things fell, he built things to put them upright again. He did what needed doing, and often helped those who needed help in whatever manner he could, whether it be time, skills, money, or a listening ear. When he did something, he made sure he did it the right way.

Andrew had a “winking” chuckle, often shared when he was being witty, making jokes about everyday things, during everyday moments. His ability to make you laugh about everyday things forced you to think a little harder when you talked to him, lest he notice something he could make you laugh about.

In his free time, he liked to watch Westerns, especially those starring John Wayne, and shows like Gun Smoke and The Rifleman. He liked to hunt, fish, and boat. Through the years, he enjoyed driving his family to the mountains. Good with tools, he was a master-builder, on one occasion turning a basic garage into a cottage that displayed great craftmanship in design, materials, and building. Andrew also gardened, expertly conditioning soil and growing a plentiful bounty of fruits and vegetables, such as figs, grapes, plums, corn, potatoes, and more.

Just as the sun rises and sets, so will the heavens open up its gates and receive Andrew. He was a good man. Smart. Strong. Quiet. Gentle. As Maya Angelou reflects in her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” he was a rock; he was a river; he was a tree. He graced this earth and those around him for eighty-eight years until God decided to bring him home. Dear God, please save a special place in heaven for him.

Andrew leaves to cherish his memory and continue his legacy, his wife, Dorothy Williams McKinnie; son, Elliott Tracy McKinnie (Rosa Dew McKinnie); daughter, Lisa LaVonne McKinnie Blackwell (Gregory Blackwell); grandchildren, Candice Dew McKinnie and Tiffany Tracy McKinnie; step-grandchildren, Amadeo Blackwell and Jordáo Blackwell; brother, Caleb McKinnie; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; nieces; nephews; and a host of extended family and loved ones.

Per Andrew’s wishes (and this will not surprise those of you who knew him, for he was about as practical a man ever made), there will be no funeral. Andrew thought people should honor the living and do for them while they are on this earth. The family wishes for you to cherish memories of your time with him. The family may choose to hold a memorial service at a later time.

At the family's request, they will not be receiving visitors at the home. Please respect this request. They thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Cards and expressions of condolence may be sent to the family at 6519 Rex Rd., Holly Springs, NC 27540.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost

Andrew McKinnie, Jr. His Legacy and Legend will live on.