Merlin Joseph McKinley

Merlin J. McKinley

Merlin J. McKinley

Mr. Merlin “Mac” Joseph McKinley passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 11:00 p.m., one month before his 92nd birthday. A native of New Orleans, LA and resident of Chalmette, LA from 1965 until hurricane Katrina took his home, Mac was in Home Hospice Care since mid-July with his son, Rick, and daughter-in-law, Susan, who live in Baton Rouge, LA. Mac was fortunate to have had amazingly good health through most of his 91 years, but faced some difficult conditions during his last few months having been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and inoperable tumors in his intestinal track.

Mac was the beloved husband of the late Gladys Evelyn Campos McKinley. and devoted father of Nicole Schiro, Merrick “Rick” McKinley, and Dennis McKinley, Sr.  He was the son of the late George M. McKinley and Alice C. Borne and brother of Kathleen Montamat and the late Shirley Foto. Mac was the proud grandfather of eight grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

Mac dropped out of high school at the age of l7 and shipped off with the Merchant Marines shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked. In recent years he reveled in relating his harrowing experiences aboard a fuel supply ship off the coast of Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation to be held at St. Bernard Memorial Funeral Home, 701 W. Virtue St., Chalmette, LA on Thursday, January 12, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  A funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m.  He will be laid to rest in St. Bernard Memorial Gardens. To view and sign the Family Guestbook, please visit www.stbernardmemorial.com

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