Obituary of David Reid McKay
David Reid McKay was born to Clyde and Nellie (Wallot) McKay on a very hot day Sunday; July 19th, 1931. He was born on the kitchen table and was helped into this world by his Aunt Nora and a family friend.
David’s first six years were spent living on Mansfield Road in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. He did the typical little kid things; owning a tricycle, a peddle car, and a wagon. The family owned at one time three dogs, all beagles of course, since his brothers and father loved to hunt rabbits. The old male dog was King, the female dog was Queen, and the young dog, his personal favorite, was Peggy, whom was with the family until, David, was in high school.
David was the youngest child and the third generation in his family, to be born to parents later in life. Older brothers who preceded his passing, Richard “Dick” Marvin McKay (b. October 22, 1911), Daniel “Dan” Wallace McKay (b, May 11, 1914), and brother Clyde Robert “Bob” McKay (b. May 16, 1918). A fourth brother passed after only living three days, Joseph William (b. January 1926). David was especially close to his nephew, William Richard “Bill” who was born on January 19, 1935. Being only three and half years different in age Bill and David were more like brothers.
David’s first job was that of being a paper boy during high school. Also, during high school he belonged to the High-Y club as well as the Key Club. David’s 60 years of association with Kiwanis stemmed from the Key Club. The senior year of high school was the party year. It all started sometime in the ninth grade when a group of friends known as the Chit Chat Club was formed. It was really a clique—a group that socialized together all through high school. Certainly not like the teenagers of today, but honest to goodness clean fun. They gathered practically every weekend at a member of the group’s houses. It was strictly chips, cokes and party games, dancing and talking and making a lot of noise. They watched movies, biked, skated at the Old Mill in Utica, tobogganed at the country club, proms, Sadie Hawkins dances, and football and basketball games with dances or parties afterwards. It was often wondered how the parents could put up with the Chit Chat Club. It seemed as though they were always doing something noisy.
Following high school, David attended Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia. By the end of that summer, it was finally time to either enlist or be drafted. David decided to enlist in the United States Air Force serving for four years. In late September of 1951, his brother Dick took him to the bus station. He soon arrived at Camp Chase in Columbus to undergo his orientation. David was then shipped to Sampson Air Force Base in the finger lakes region of Geneva, New York, where he spent six weeks of his young life in basic training to become an airman. He was assigned to the 3650th Air Force Indoctrination Wing, Flight 908. Eighty-seven years before, in April of 1864, David’s grandfather William made this same trip from Mt Vernon to Camp Chase for his orientation into the 142nd OVI before heading to Washington, DC to serve his time in the Civil War.
David received his permanent assignment after technical training on March 12, 1952. He was assigned to Headquarters of the 6th Bombardment Wing of Walker Air Force Base in Roswell New Mexico. The assignment was with the Director of Personnel. Being assigned to Walker was good duty. It kept David out of the main activities of the Korean War and working for the Director of Personnel didn’t hurt. Dave always shared that he was in Roswell at the same time as the aliens.
Dave would welcome into the world two sons Barry Reid and Steven Alan who were both born at the Walker AFB hospital, Roswell, Chavez County, New Mexico. Barry being born November and Steve followed two years later. This four year of clerical duty turned into a forty-year career in education. In September of 1955, David enrolled at Ohio State in the College of Education obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Business Education in 1957. His first assignment was to teach at Whitman Junior School in Livonia, Michigan. He would complete his master’s degree in Business from the University of Michigan in 1962. He later became certified as a coordinator in cooperative education and transferred from Whitman Junior High School to Franklin High School teaching Retailing, Advertising, and typing.
In 1964 the Livonia Public Schools built Stevenson High School and David was on the planning committee. The Board opened Stephenson in the Fall term before it was complete, and David transferred there from Franklin H.S., to teach and become the head of the Business Department. Part of his responsibilities in this process was to purchase the equipment and set up the programs as well as teach 10th and 11th grade business subjects.
David served at Stevenson for two years before receiving a call from Dean Robert Kollin of Monroe County Community College in Monroe, Michigan. Dean Kollin had heard of David’s strengths and background and inquired about his willingness to take a position with the college. Following his interview, David accepted the role as the Dean of the Business Division responsible for establishing the original criteria for the Business Education Division in June of 1966. While serving at MCCC, David was President of NAME (National Association of Management/Marketing Education) and was asked to help a team write a CLEP (Collegiate Level Examination Program) exam for Introduction to Management.
It was a cold and snowy day on March 8, 1980 that David married his soul mate (which he sometime referred to as his cell mate) Cheryl Carter Rumler and his family grew by two more daughters, Sheyla and Adreah. It was a foggy morning when Cheryl and Dave drove the 30 plus miles to the hospital in Tecumseh, Michigan for the birth of their daughter Rachel – a bonnie small lass arrived when David was 51 years old. While Dave was present for the delivery of the birth of Rachel, he did however return to work later that day. Upon his return his fellow administrators commented that he was “flying high” with the announcement of his daughter’s birth.
David served as Clan Mackay Society USA president and while participating he enjoyed traveling all-around the United States and Scotland for the Highland Games. An avid genealogist, David was often convinced that he was related to every new person he met. Through his love of genealogy, he assessed his own DNA and was tickled to discover he was 4% Neanderthal, Ashkenazi Jew, and could trace his ancestry through North Africa.
David dedicated his life making sure the McKay legacy would be known to all future generations and that his family’s history would have a place in this world. A year ago, Dave completed his life’s work to erect an Ohio State Historical Marker recognizing his Grandfathers’ works as stone masons. You can view this historic marker of Dave’s family at the Kokosing Gap Trail in Howard, Ohio.
Dave made his camera debut in the Red Star Line documentary filmed by a team from Belgium to document the story of immigrant glass blowers (his maternal grandfather was a glass blower) from Belgium from the 1800s.
David was an avid collector of anything and loved searching for treasures and antiques and had an antique booth with Rachel. He enjoyed attending plays and concerts. He was trained and practiced clock repair on antique clocks. Being born late in his own parent’s lives and in the first one third of the 20th century, David, always felt as if his life had spanned three centuries. David enjoyed traveling from Australia to China and all over Europe, connecting with people from around the world. He hosted exchange students from Sweden and guests from Russia, New Zealand, and Japan. He made many school trips with Rachel to Crow Canyon, Colorado for archeological digs and volunteered to chaperone the trip with the French class to England, France, Switzerland, and Italy.
David’s biggest love of all was his family. He would do anything for his family and was always thankful for the memories that his children, their spouses, and grandchildren provided. David Reid McKay, age 89, passed away on Sunday; April 4, 2021. To cherish his memory, he leaves his soulmate: Cheryl McKay; five children: Steve McKay, Barry (Anita) McKay, Rachel McKay (Josh Voshall), Sheyla (Steve) Barteck, Adreah (John) Kuderik; and eight grandchildren: Rozie (Alan) Vajda, Kaela Kuderik, Katie Cheney, Bryce Barteck, Hunter (Leah) Cheney, Jessicah Kuderik (who proceeded him in death), Reese Kuderik, Barrett Voshall and three great grandchildren: Tucker Yoas, Sawyer Smith, and Audrey Cheney.
Friends may gather from 11:00am until 1:00pm on Friday; April 16, 2021 at Merkle Funeral Service, North Monroe; 2442 North Monroe Street, Monroe, Michigan 48162 (734) 384-5185.
A Celebration of His Life will take place at 1:00pm on Friday; April 16, 2021. Procession will follow to St. Joseph Cemetery for burial.
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In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the mds-foundation.org or aspca.org