Jackie & Matt McKinsey Memorial

Jacqueline “Jackie” McKinsey

Jackie McKinsey was a founding member of the OTC Board of Trustees in 1990, but to leave it at that would be selling her short. She subsequently served as secretary, treasurer, vice-chair and chair of the six-member board. She helped guide the college through the hiring of both its presidents and through the addition of a second campus, and multiple additional locations. Ms. McKinsey served on the Springfield School Board for 12 years, the Missouri School Board for two, and the Missouri Special Education Advisory Board for 20. In 1996, she was appointed by Gov. Mel Carnahan to the Missouri Women’s Council, and in 2004, she was named one of the Springfield Business Journal’s Most Influential Women. She was also just the fifth person to be named an OTC trustee emeritus. In 2012, she received the Trustee Leadership Award from the Missouri Community College Association, before finally retiring in 2014.

Obituary:

Jacqueline “Jackie” McKinsey, 88, died on September 1, 2020, at Collier Hospice Center in Wheat Ridge, CO, after a long illness. Jackie led an historic and inspirational life, nurtured countless close friendships, lovingly raised a devoted family, and made a lasting impact on her community through her unstinting dedication to civic causes.

Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband John J. McKinsey, and her son Matt. She is survived by sons and daughters-in-law David (Maithe Enriquez), Christy, Joel (Jenny), Tim (Judy), grandchildren Amy, Danielle Enriquez-Fowler (James Crawford), John, Julie, Mason, Max, Megan, and Molly McKinsey-Morton (Matt Morton); 2 great-grandchildren; sister Nini Correll (Charles), brother Andre Ronay (Vera), brother-in-law Michael McKinsey, and many nieces and nephews.

Born in Paris, France, on April 18, 1932, to Malvina Steigler and Marcel Ronay, Jackie survived trying times during the German occupation of the city which began in 1940. The family made a daring and lengthy escape to the U. S. in 1942, initially settling in New York. Jackie learned English at age 10 by listening to her teacher while sitting alone on the back row of a public school classroom in Manhattan. She proved an apt student.

Her family later moved to Dallas, TX where Jackie was a proud graduate of Highland Park High School, a student for two years at Southern Methodist University, and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. On December 28, 1953 she married the love of her life, John J. McKinsey, in Dallas. During her husband’s medical training and military service the family lived in St. Louis and Alabama. In 1963 when her husband joined a medical practice the family moved to Springfield, where she lived for more than 50 years, raising her family, graduating from Missouri State University, participating in an ever-expanding array of volunteer activities, developing into a savvy stock market investor, co-founding Penmac Staffing, and serving as a widely admired community leader.

Jackie’s hobby was people and her passion was education. She volunteered innumerable hours of her time to many organizations. Jackie served as President of the Springfield School Board; as Founding Trustee of OTC; as President of the OTC Board of Trustees for 2 terms; as President of the Missouri Association for Children with Learning Disabilities; as President of the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) trustees’ division; and subsequently as President of the MCCA’s umbrella organization. She received gubernatorial appointments to the Missouri Women’s Council and the Missouri Special Education Advisory Council. Jackie was one of the first female members of the Springfield Rotary Club and served as program chair. She also chaired the Vision 20/20 Economic Development Focus Group. Jackie was honored to receive the American Institute for Public Service’s Jefferson Award and the Missouri State Teacher’s Association Friends of Education Award. Jackie served on many other cultural and service boards and participated in dozens of lobbying trips to Jefferson City and Washington on behalf of Missouri schools and community colleges.

Jackie was gifted at cultivating and maintaining a vast number of deep and lasting friendships. Above all, Jackie was completely devoted to her family. She was flexible: a former Parisian (and neither a sports fan nor a fisherwoman) who, by dint of raising 4 sons in Springfield, spent countless hours patiently attending baseball, basketball, and football games, enduring seemingly endless sports broadcasts in her home, and attentively listening to many hours of fishing stories. As the years passed she would travel anywhere, any time, to spend time with her growing family.

Jackie was an exceptionally kind, caring, and devoted person who spread much love and harmony in her world. She could also be forceful when she deemed the stakes to be high. She was known for her everlasting support of friends and family, her perpetually sweet and even disposition, her outstanding judgement, her practicality, and her love of fine French (and other) cuisine. She was well-read, widely-traveled, and broad-minded. Her family will forever cherish memories of lavish annual Christmas feasts at her unique home in the woods and of many pancake breakfasts with her at Aunt Martha’s.
In 2014, Jackie moved to Broomfield, CO to live with Tim, Judy, Molly, Max, Mason, and canine companion Gus, all of whom provided immeasurable love and support to her in her later years. Reciprocally, their lives were greatly enriched by Grammy Jackie’s presence in their home.

A celebration of Jackie’s life will be hosted by her family at Historic Firehouse No2, 101 East Commercial Street, Springfield MO, on Saturday, July 17 from 11:00 AM to 2:30. Formal presentations will begin at 11:30am, followed by light food and drinks. The public is invited to attend. Doors will open at 11:00 AM. but arrival any time prior to 2:30 is acceptable. Our goal is to bring together people to reminisce about their experiences with Jackie. If you have not been fully vaccinated, we ask that you please wear a mask.
In her calm yet determined way, Jackie made it clear to all who knew her that education is a key to personal advancement, and the more, the better. In this spirit, she requested that any donations in her honor be made to the OTC Foundation (foundation.OTC.edu).

Matt McKinsey

John Matthew McKinsey passed away December 15, 2008. Matt was born December 26, 1959, in St. Louis, to Jacqueline McKinsey and the late Dr. John J. McKinsey, and moved to Springfield in 1963. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Missouri State University. He married Christy Ellis on June 10, 1995, and had a beloved 9 year old daughter, Megan. Matt served many years as a special education teacher in the Reeds Spring and Ozark school districts and also worked as a tutor at Huntington Learning Center. He was a highly dedicated teacher who took a deep personal interest in his students’ well being.

Matt was an outstanding athlete who coached a state championship basketball team for children with special needs. He was an avid genealogist who became the foremost authority in the nation on McKinsey family genealogy. In addition to spending time with his close-knit family, he enjoyed nature, fishing, gardening, and rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Missouri Tigers, and the MSU Bears during their good times and otherwise. He was a warm, honest, loyal, and gentle soul whose friendliness and enthusiasm for life will be missed tremendously by his family and friends.

Matt is survived by his wife, Christy; and daughter, Megan, of the home; mother Jacqueline McKinsey, Springfield; three brothers and sisters-in-law, David McKinsey and Maithe Enriquez, Leawood, Kan., Joel and Jenny McKinsey, Overland Park, Kan., and Tim and Judy McKinsey, Broomfield, Colo.; and seven nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his close and loyal friends, Bill Trotter and Greg Redfern.

The family wishes to express its deep gratitude to Tad Moseley for his exceptional support. Memorial services are scheduled in Campbell United Methodist Church on Friday, December 19, 2008, at 11 a.m., with a memorial reception following. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., in Hazelwood Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel.

The family suggests that memorial donations be made to the Matt McKinsey Memorial Scholarship for Students with Special Needs at OTC, in care of the OTC Foundation, 1001 E. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO 65806.