Published: July 03, 2009 10:26 pm      

Harold Robert McKinley

Services for Harold Robert McKinley, 78, Logansport and formerly of Peru, will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Flowers-Leedy Funeral Home, 105 W. Third St., Peru.

He passed away in his home at 4:25 a.m. Friday, July 3, 2009, with his loving wife by his side. He was born July 19, 1930, to Harold E. and Blanche R. McKinley in Peru. He was married to Norma Jean Austin on March 6, 1951, in Main Street Methodist Church, and she preceded him in death. After 12 years of companionship, he and Shirley Ann Morgan married on April 21, 2009, at their home in Logansport.

He is survived by wife, Shirley; children, Deborah A. and husband Richard Beam, Peru, Patricia Diane and husband Gary Gallegos, Henderson, Nev.; stepdaughter, Victoria and husband Ron Reeser, who Bob always said was the son he never had, and Gay Courtney, all of Logansport; one sister, Elizabeth Ann (Betty) and husband, Floyd White Jr., Peru; one brother-in-law, Charles Austin, Logansport; one sister-in-law, Linda Jackson, Terre Haute; three grandsons in Peru; three granddaughters in Henderson, Nev.; two stepgrandsons in Logansport; four stepgranddaughters in Logansport, Lucerne, Anderson and Panama City Beach, Fla.; four great-grandsons; one great-granddaughter; six stepgreat-granddaughters; four stepgreat-grandsons; numerous nieces and nephews; and his special loving cat, Bow-Wow.

He was preceded in death by one stepson, Byron Keith Wickersham.

Bob served in the Navy from 1948-53 in the Korean Conflict. He joined the Peru Fire Department in 1956 and retired in July 1976. He worked at Eikenberry Enterprises from 1977-95 in the transportation department.

In younger years, he was in the first unit of the Civil Air Patrol in Miami County. He loved to fly and donated thousands of hours of manual labor to get the Peru airport up and going as it should be. He was the first customer at the airport and the first student to get his flying license around 1971, trained mainly by Harold Kaiser. He loved scuba diving, roller skating, dancing and traveling. He was a member of the American Legion in Peru, Moose Lodge 249, and a Mannechore life member. He was a Red Cross and first aid instructor and one of the first EMTs in Miami County.

Bob was a loving and generous man who made multiple donations to various charities. He established the Norma J. McKinley Memorial Scholarship after her death for all children of active duty Peru firefighters. To date, 16 first-year and 11 second-year scholarships have been awarded.

He will be sadly missed by his loving family. He will be remembered for his fantastic sense of humor and his delicious peach cobbler.

Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery in Peru. Friends may call from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

The family wishes to extend a special thanks to Guardian Angel Hospice for their loving care.

Memorial contributions may be made to Guardian Angel Hospice or a favorite charity.