RIP Spike

We lost another member of our HOW tribe recently. Spike and his wife Anna did the bulk of the cooking at our Nehalem River campouts with our affiliate group Operation Healing. Great guy. Great American. Farewell, tight lines, and thanks buddy.

Terry William McKinsey
Sept. 11, 1946 - Jan. 15, 2019

Nicknamed "Spike" for his habit of landing fighter jets hard on the runway, Colonel Terry Spike McKinsey (Ret.) passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, Jan. 15, 2019. During his 72 years, Spike's undeniable strength, unconditional kindness and unquestionable integrity made a lasting impact on his friends, colleagues and family.

Born in Oregon City Sept. 11, 1946, he graduated from West Linn High School before enlisting in the Army in 1965. Shortly thereafter, he received appointments to both West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy; he chose Navy and became a Marine fighter pilot. Go Navy, Beat Army!
In 1978 Spike returned to his beloved Oregon with his wife and best friend Anna (Kucynda) McKinsey, to fly for the Oregon Air National Guard. From 1989-1995 Spike served as the respected base Commander, retiring in 1995 as a Colonel with over 30 years of service in all four branches of the military.

After retiring from the military, Spike flew the line for Horizon Airlines and later became Assistant Chief Pilot. He voluntarily retired from his position at Horizon in 2010 to prevent a young pilot from losing his job due to budget cuts.

In retirement Spike volunteered with multiple non-profit organizations including: Habitat for Humanity and Northwest Medical Teams. He counseled troubled veterans in the State Prison system and was acting Vice President of Operation Healing, an organization committed to offering wounded veterans outdoor experiences to aid in their rehabilitation.

Spike lived a life true to his values. He stood for what is right and didn't hesitate to step in when he saw injustice in action. He loved fishing, baseball, ice cream, 1950s pop music and the country he served with all his heart.

Spike is survived by his sister, Julie; wife, Anna; children, Krista (Mike) and Michael; and three grandsons, Ezra, Eli and Leo.

A funeral is at 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, at The Madeleine, 3123 N.E. 24th Avenue, followed by interment at 2 p.m., in Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 S.E. Mt. Scott Blvd. A Celebration of Life will be held from 6-10 p.m., Jan. 25, 2019, at The Aerie at Eagle's Landing, 10220 S.E. Causey Avenue. All are encouraged to attend. Details may be found at www.lincolnmemorialpk.com

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Coastal Conservation Association of Washington to support salmon conservation efforts. Spike loved to fish for salmon in retirement. You may donate online at: www.ccawashington.org/donate

Integrity as human characteristic is apparently becoming harder to find and remains a dying trait in today’s society. Spike is a true American Hero, although the humble nature of the man would probably argue differently & only normalize his attributes. Thank you for sharing this “Banger.” Let’s not forget. Cheers to a great man & please take a moment to honor him.