Craig O'Neal McKinney's Obituary
If there were enough words in our language, we could use this space to make the world realize what a wonderful man, Craig O’Neal McKinney truly was. We could explain the amazing impacts he made on many lives, and many hearts he touched in his life. We could begin by talking about his suave personality that was one of a kind that came with his smooth bowlegged walk, his eloquent & comical ways of telling stories, his sharp dressing, his radiant smile and glossy hazel eyes which were always mesmerizing to all. There will never be enough words to describe the great person that Craig was, but one thing we will always say about Craig is he was exquisite and truly an amazing person to be around.
The world was blessed with the birth of Craig O’Neal McKinney on September 12, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan to Gloria Hardman & Clemson McKinney. Craig grew up attending Jackson Public Schools where he played basketball, football, & wrestling. Craig graduated from Jackson High School in 1974. Upon graduating high school Craig made an honorable sacrifice of enlisting in the United States Marines in 1975.
Craig had a devoted career working at General Motors in the Cadillac Plant for 10 years. He graciously dedicated many years mentoring youth in Jackson, MI. He worked with high schoolers in performing arts where he taught playwriting & produced several projects that were critically acclaimed & rewarding to him. In May 1995 Craig made the front page of local newspapers in Michigan for his stage play Reality Check which at that time was the first African American play performed at Jackson high that had a diverse crowd of nearly 400 people. That was one of his proudest moments, “I wanted to entertain & educate people at the same time. It was very gratifying to see so many African Americans supporting this project”.
Craig enjoyed spending time with his family, you could find him randomly stopping by his family members’ homes and being the most upbeat & funniest person present. He enjoyed supporting his nieces & nephews by attending their sport & school events. He was very encouraging to his younger family members. He enjoyed being around his friends & making them laugh & him being the coolest one amongst them.
Craig Left this world with great memories for us to all cherish. He is preceded in death by his Parents Clemson McKinney Sr. & Gloria Hardman and sisters Patricia Kinnel & Theresa McKinney. He leaves behind two children Bronson Lewis & Delorean McKinney and grandchildren, brothers Clemson McKinney Jr. (Darlene), Carlos Hardman, sisters Daphnee, & Krista McKinney and a host of nieces & nephews and close cousins Brenda, Lori, Burt & Benard to continue his legacy.
His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant~ St. Matthew 25:23
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