Obituary of Earl L. McKinley, Jr.

McKinley Earl L., Jr. Pittsburgh native Earl L. McKinley, Jr., 73, died Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, TN, due to complications from a heart attack suffered a month earlier. He leaves his wife of 47 years, Helen (Lamanna) McKinley; son, Jeffrey McKinley and his wife, April McKinley and step-son, Israel Atkins of Tarpon Springs, FL; son, Brian McKinley and his wife, Anita Benner and newborn son, Austin Benner McKinley of Nashville, TN; brothers Robert McKinley, Paul McKinley; sisters Eileen McKinley, Nancy McKinley and Lisa Perrine; many nieces and nephews and all their respective families. Born and raised in Garfield, the son of Earl L. McKinley, Sr., and Mildred (Kulesik) McKinley, he was a longtime resident of North Hills. For the past decade, Earl split his time between Wesley Chapel, FL, and Gibsonia, PA. In his early years, Earl graduated from Central Catholic High School, worked with his father in his family's real estate business and helped support his family after his father’s death in 1965. Earl received his bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University. While working at Westinghouse, Earl earned his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He married Helen at St. Paul Cathedral on October 4, 1969. After business school, Earl spent more than two decades as an executive with Westinghouse Corporation. In 1995, Earl joined Carnegie Mellon University’s HR department, retiring in 1998. Although modest, Earl excelled at a wide range of skills, many of which he learned himself through his lifelong love of reading. His primary passion for gardening led him to achieve Master Gardener status and friends, family and neighbors often marveled at his park-like gardens and knowledge of plants. He was also known as an excellent cook and baker, and co-workers often looked forward to the treats he enjoyed sharing, particularly a world-class cheesecake. He will be remembered by family as a quietly strong individual who gave generously, lived simply and, most of all, loved his family. Family and friends received at McCabe Brothers, Inc. Funeral Home, www.mccabebrothers.com, 6214 Walnut Street, on Sunday, from 5-9 p.m. and Monday, from 2-9 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Paul Cathedral on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made in Earl’s memory to the Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, please designate ALD or Adrenoleukodistrophy research in memory of Earl McKinley.