Willie Preston Mckinney

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, godfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at the age of 77 years after a long illness. He was born March 11, 1941 in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Claude Sr. and Lillie Mae (James) McKinney.

Will attended Potter Elementary School, Central Junior High School and was a graduate of Saginaw High School, “Class of 1960.” He also attended Arthur Hill Tech High School. He retired from General Motors Saginaw Malleable Iron Foundry in 1999 after 35 years of service. He loved fishing, hunting, camping in his RV, traveling with his family, all sports, especially basketball and boxing, and was a collector of popular music classics.

Will was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sandra Kay (Nickleberry); parents, Claude Sr. and Lillie Mae McKinney; sister, Lillie Mae Hoggs; three brothers, Claude Jr., John Edward, Lawrence Harry McKinney; and brother-in-law, Mitchell Nickleberry.

He leaves to cherish his memory two devoted daughters, Pamela J. (Tracy) Parks, Commerce Township, Michigan, Delores L. McKinney, Columbia, Maryland; one sister, Beverly McKinney, Ann Arbor, Michigan; two brothers, Thomas McKinney, Saginaw, Michigan, David (Anita) McKinney, Farmington Hills, Michigan; goddaughter, Jenelle (John) Leavell, Sussex, Wisconsin; two grandchildren, Elynn and Aaron Parks, Commerce Township, Michigan; sisters-in-law, Sharon Nickleberry, Detroit, Michigan, Bobbie McKinney, Dorothy Nickleberry, Saginaw, Michigan; four brothers-in-law, Robert (Vickie), Van Nuys, California, Von (Rosa), Saginaw, Michigan, James Leroy and Harvey Nickleberry, Las Vegas, Nevada; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The family would like to express special thanks to the doctors and nurses at Henry Ford Hospital - MICU in Detroit, MI.