Max T. McKinney II, D.O. died in Farmington Hills, Michigan on Tuesday December 27, 2016. He was 83 years old.

It is likely that many readers of this piece will know Dr. McKinney in uniquely personal ways. He healed and counseled thousands of patients in his thirty-two years practicing family medicine; every patient who spent even a few minutes with Dr. McKinney knew they were deeply cared for and at the center of his heart.

Dr. McKinney was fond of saying that “Half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up to get it;” his decision to attend medical school as a nontraditional student, a husband and a father of three boys is testimony to his ability to put his words into action.

Max McKinney was born in 1933 in Wayne, Michigan to Max Theodore and Marie Antoinette McKinney. He was the second of four children; the family made their home on Cherry Hill Road in what is now Westland, Michigan. They built a loving interconnected family that generated enduring traditions and memories. Dr. McKinney’s father and namesake became seriously ill during the early winter of 1950 and passed away in January of 1951. Because of the loss of their father, Dr. McKinney’s siblings looked to their big brother for advice and guidance in their childhood and remained exceptionally close throughout their lives.

Dr. McKinney helped support his family during high school as a salesman at Milt Humphrey’s Menswear in Wayne, Michigan, earning a reputation as one of the best-dressed seventeen-year-olds on the Wayne Memorial High School campus. When others were clothed in khakis and dungarees, he often attended class in a custom suit for which he had chosen the fabric.

He married his high school sweetheart Marilyn Sue Anderson a year after their 1952 graduation from Wayne Memorial High School, and began their family in 1954 with the birth of their son Todd. Three years later, Kevin joined the family, and five years after Kevin’s birth, Kirk was born.

Dr. McKinney earned a B.S. degree from what was then known as Eastern Michigan College in 1957, and completed one year of graduate studies before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was on active duty for six months, moving his young family to Fort Bliss in Texas, and then to Fort Knox in Kentucky. As a company commander he rose to the rank of captain, and served for another eight years in the Army Reserves, including weekly meetings (at which he shared a friendship with former Detroit Lion great Joe Schmidt) and annual two-week sojourns to summer camp.

When the family returned to Michigan Dr. McKinney began a career as a detail man with E.R. Squibb and Sons pharmaceutical company.

Although he was recognized as a successful salesperson with the firm, his dream of becoming a doctor remained alive, heightened as he called upon area physicians and pharmacists. After completing necessary prerequisites, he applied to and was accepted at what was then the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines Iowa. The family moved to Iowa in 1965.

To support his family during his years in medical school he worked nights as a front desk clerk and auditor at a Holiday Inn. On weekends, he was a maintenance man at the motel. His wife Marilyn earned money teaching swimming lessons in the hotel pool, and son Todd maintained the pool to further augment the family income. They all worked together to bring Dr. McKinney’s dream to fruition.

He excelled in his medical studies, serving as class president for four years, and graduated in 1969, moving back to Michigan to launch his career as a physician.

He interned at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills (now Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills) before starting a family practice partnership with Richard Knight D.O. The partnership continued until Dr. Knight’s retirement in 2002, at which time Dr. McKinney incorporated Farmington Hills Family Health Care practice. His gentle nature and generous spirit helped innumerable patients develop healthy lifestyles and successfully manage their illnesses and infirmities.

Dr. McKinney intended that his professional affiliations were to further the excellence of the healing arts and the advancement of osteopathic medicine. In more than three decades of partnership with Botsford Hospital he served on the board of directors and the executive board, and provided his experience and advice simultaneously to multiple committees as he helped guide the institution in its expanding service to the Farmington-area community.

He contributed his time and experience to a broad range of professional organizations, and in many cases served in a leadership capacity. His affiliations included the Oakland County Osteopathic Association, the Michigan Osteopathic Association, the American Osteopathic Association, Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Michigan, the American College of Osteopathic Family Practitioners, the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Practice, the Michigan State Board of Osteopathic Medicine & Surgery, the Michigan Peer Review Organization, the Michigan Physicians Network, the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Iowa Osteopathic Foundation and the Michigan Osteopathic College Foundation.

His connection to the Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center was especially important to Dr. McKinney. He contributed to the growth of the institution through numerous appointments and positions, including the board of trustees, the board of directors, the national alumni association and several important committees. He was the board chair-elect for four years, ascending to the chairmanship in 2005, and served in that capacity for four years as the university expanded its programs and increased its reputation as one of the top schools of osteopathic medicine in the country. Traveling regularly to Des Moines, he nurtured lifelong relationships with physicians from across the globe and shared the benefits of his exceptional career with nascent and experienced physicians alike.

Dr. McKinney received numerous important honors throughout his professional life as the medical community at-large recognized his enormously generous and accomplished career. These include a fellowship in the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice; Alumnus of the Year from Des Moines University / Osteopathic Medical Center; Distinguished Lifetime Award from the Michigan Hospital Association; Distinguished Service Award from Botsford Hospital; Distinguished Lifetime Award from the Michigan Osteopathic Association; the Walter F. Patenge Public Service Award from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine; two Presidential Citations from the Michigan Osteopathic Association, and a renamed Max McKinney Leadership Award from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2007 Dr. McKinney presented the graduation keynote address at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He was a patient and supportive father who instilled in his sons the knowledge that all things are possible through effort and planning. He allowed his children to follow their individual life choices with just the right amount of paternal advice. He enjoyed a glass of cold buttermilk with salt and pepper and installed a stereo system in the family home before other furniture was purchased; the living room was the stage for countless evenings of high-volume singalongs to Broadway soundtracks.

He enjoyed sitting on his John Deere tractor and grooming the family property in Farmington Hills; a warm summer afternoon with five acres to mow was a good day. He loved aviation, the United States space program, stories of great personal accomplishment, homemade macaroni and cheese with ketchup and a perfectly decorated Christmas tree. His record collection was vast and various, and he watched and discussed thousands of films in his life.

There was always a bottle of Mennen’s Skin Bracer in his bathroom, and a comfortable pair of tan suede shoes in the closet, next to the black wingtips. Some things are too good to change.

More than anything or anyone he loved his wife Marilyn, and was happiest when they were together. The couple traveled widely in conjunction with Dr. McKinney’s professional activities, enjoying each other’s company and companionship. They spent several weeks each winter in their condo on Marco Island, taking in the sunset view from the beach or balcony.

After decades of partnership filled with the demands of Dr. McKinney’s work and those of Marilyn’s career as an admissions officer at the University of Michigan, they retired from professional life and continued to eagerly plan for their future together. It was clear to all who knew them that the glue that had bound these two people so many years ago remained impermeable and flexible as they shared a rich marriage grounded in deep love and mutual respect.

Dr. McKinney is survived and sorely missed by his wife, Marilyn McKinney; sons Todd (Jackie Fortino) McKinney, Kevin McKinney and Kirk McKinney; grandchildren Alexander (Jessica) Rossman, Colleen (Ryan) Vargovich, Anne Fortino, Jonathan McKinney, Connor McKinney, Lillian McKinney, Theodora McKinney, Zoe McKinney and Cobhan McKinney; sister Nancy Peters, and brothers Eugene McKinney and John (Mary) McKinney.

A celebration of Dr. McKinney’s life will be held 2-5 p.m. Saturday, January 28 at Glen Oaks Country Club, 30500 W. Thirteen Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. McKinney’s name to the MOA Charitable Fund, 2445 Woodlake Circle, Okemos, MI 48864, or to a charity of your choice.

--Todd McKinney
January 4, 2017