Honoring
Carl McKinnis

Carl James McKinnis III passed away on July 8th, 2020. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew him. He will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues. Though we can’t all gather together at this time, we will use this site to honor Carl, his life and his loves. Please join us as we share the incredible life journey of a beloved husband, father, brother and friend.

Growing up

Carl was born July 21, 1942, to Carl James McKinnis Jr. and Virginia Rose McKinnis (Kuhn) in East St. Louis, Illinois. He was the third to carry this family name started by his Grandfather who was always known as Pop. In his early childhood, his parents lived with Pop and his grandmother, Goldie Gladys McKinnis (Jones), in a small house on Cleveland Ave. in East St. Louis. With so many Carls in one household, nicknames were needed so the three were called Pop, Big Carl and Little Carl for many years. In later years, as Big Carl gained grandchildren, he would become known as Bump. To this day, the McKinnis clan remain big on nicknames! The family grew with the addition of his sister Cathy and his brother Michael. As Big Carl took on a career as a Postal Inspector, the family moved to Poplar Bluff, MO and then on to Florrisant, a suburb of St Louis. Throughout his life, Carl was a natural athlete and loved baseball like his father “Bump.” It was at Ferguson High School where Carl played baseball that he met the love of his life, Jerry Ann Robertson.

Carl & Jerry

Carl and Jerry were married on August 5th, 1961. They met while attending Ferguson High School together. Though they met as freshmen when they shared a class, it would take Carl some time to work up the nerve to ask her on a date. Jerry says, “He chased me until I caught him. It only took him 3 years after he met me to ask me out. Love of my life.” After graduation, they discussed marriage, but Jerry was worried about the draft taking Carl away. Not to be deterred, Carl signed up with the Army to complete 6 months of active service followed by time in the Reserves. He told Jerry in the fall of 1960 as he left for basic training in Ft Leonardwood, MO, “I’ll be back in the spring. When can we get married!?”

Family

Carl and Jerry started their family with Jimmy (the fourth Carl James!), born May 28, 1962, and Laura, born April 14, 1965. Carl started his career in the transportation industry working on the dock for Arkansas Best Freight in St Louis. He worked overtime, double shifts, holidays, whatever it took to help his growing family. His hard work paid off, as he rose to Foreman, then to Ops Supervisor and finally was promoted to Operations Manager in St. Louis. In 1969, the family moved to Davenport, IA, where Carl was promoted to Branch Manager. Carl’s career continued to advance and led the family from St Louis, to Iowa, on to Cincinnati, OH, and back to Iowa. Somewhere along the way, his family finally convinced him to get rid of the sideburns. His hard work gave the young family a loving home and many opportunities wherever they happened to go. Throughout it all, they always returned to St. Louis whenever they could, to visit Carl and Jerry’s family and possibly catch a Cardinals game. In 1983, daughter Laura, had settled in Dallas, TX, when an opportunity led Carl and Jerry there too. In 1985, their son Jimmy and his wife Sue, would soon follow after Jimmy’s graduation from Iowa State University. With the family reunited in Dallas, grandkids would soon follow. Meghan, CJ (the fifth Carl!), Carly (also named for Carl!) and Kyle, rounded out the family. Settling in Flower Mound, TX, near both their children, Carl finally made the decision to retire in 2006. At the time he was Sr. Vice President of Bright Trucking in Dallas, TX, and Jerry had retired from Michaels Stores a few years before. But neither could sit still for very long. Jerry went on to volunteer at the new local hospital, and Carl took a part-time job at Market Street. Carl also worked at Bridlewood Golf Club as a Marshall which afforded him plenty of time to play. He often played with his son and grandson, CJ. And in February of 2016, Carl recorded a hole in one on the 12th hole of Bridlewood. Carl was also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and never missed a chance to watch a game or check the scores. And heaven help anyone who revealed a score for a game he was “taping.” These are among the many things we will remember him for, including his joking and teasing demeanor, his love of sweets, his impeccable fashion sense, his “Davenport pork chops,” and his love and devotion to his family. While he left us all too soon, Carl left a lasting impression on everyone that he met.