James Franklin Mckinney Iii

James Franklin McKinney III, 72, passed away on February 2 in Carmel,
Indiana. He was born on June 16, 1946, in Columbus, Indiana, to James F.
McKinney Jr. and Dagmar (Anna) Runolfsdottir.
During his 41-year career, Jim shared his father’s passion for education. He
was a teacher, school administrator, and basketball, golf and track coach in
the Clarksville, Marion and Flatrock-Hawcreek school corporations before
retiring in 2009 from the Hamilton Southeastern School District. Jim earned
his bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in education from Indiana
University. He was named State Assistant Principal of the Year while at
Fishers Junior High School where he established the Explorer program and
an annual Secret Santa Drive for students at Durbin Elementary School, a
program that continues today. He looked forward to chaperoning school
events, especially class trips and the traditional outing to Conner Prairie for
Headless Horseman.
When Jim and Janet were married on December 20, 1975, their honeymoon
started at Assembly Hall cheering for their IU Hoosiers at the annual holiday
classic tournament, an event they never missed during Bobby Knight years.
Once they made it off the waiting list for season tickets, they continued the
tradition to never miss a game even when it meant driving through sleet and
snow, as well as limited sleep before returning to the classroom the next
morning. Jim always told friends Janet married him for his NCAA Final Four
tickets!
Their love for basketball included high school teams, as well. Until a few
years ago when Jim’s lymphedema and eventual Parkinson’s disease caused
other health issues, the couple never missed a basketball state tournament or
the Indiana vs. Kentucky All-Star games. With pride, Jim organized his
ownstate basketball tournament program archive collection starting with
1946 that packs four binders, a favorite springboard for “remember when”
conversations with his high school Columbus Bulldog friends. His favorite
program is from 1996 when Jim and Janet traveled to wherever the
Bloomington North Cougars were playing tournament games. Jim’s den
displays memorabilia from his nephew David’s and brother Tom’s state
championship victory where Jim and Janet joined the crowd storming the
court to celebrate with the team, fans and the McKinney family.
In addition to attending IU and high school basketball games, friends and
students called him a “walking encyclopedia of basketball facts and stats” for
any year. His knowledge of varied topics beyond sports earned him a
runner-up title in the televised Hoosier trivia competition.
Jim loved being a fan for the Colts, Pacers, Cardinals, and all IU sports
teams. On weekends he enjoyed going to garage sales to find treasures for
his grandson and to sports card shows to add to his collection of football,
basketball and baseball cards always in search of Indiana athletes. Jim
enjoyed organizing his hundreds of baseball cards in card collection boxes
and displaying other sports memorabilia, especially Tony Stewart and Jeff
Gordon, in his IU den.
Living his heartfelt believe in family first, Jim was his daughter’s biggest fan
during her eight years of competitive figure skating and proudly cheered for
his nieces and nephews at tennis and track and field events. Although his
declining health prohibited him from watching Ashton compete in football,
soccer and basketball games the past two years, he loved watching videos and
listening to descriptions so he could coach Ashton with basketball tips, the
importance of being a team player and a good man. A visit with Ashton
always ended with a fist bump and reminder, “You’re the finest man I know.”
McKinney was predeceased by his father who died in 1983. He leaves behind
his loving wife of 43 years, Janet of Carmel, and daughter Erin Kovacevic
and grandson Ashton Murray of Fishers. Also surviving are his mother of
Bloomington, two younger brothers Tom (Judy) of Bloomington and Joseph
of Muncie and their families, his uncle George McKinney and aunt Jean
Patrick and many cousins in Columbus, as well as many aunts, uncles and
cousins in Iceland.
He belonged to the First Christian Church in Columbus and the First United
Methodist Church in Carmel. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, National
Education Association, Indiana State Teachers Association, Indiana Retired
Teachers Association, Hamilton County Retired Teachers, Indiana High
School Basketball Historical Society and lifetime member of the Indiana
University Alumni Association.
Visitation will be at Flanner Buchanan, 325 Carmel Drive, from 4 to 8 p.m.
on Friday, February 8, and noon on Saturday, February 9, prior to memorial
service and celebration of life at 1 p.m. Burial will be at Flanner Buchanan in
the Trinity Gardens section, 9700 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to one’s
favorite charity. However, any flowers received will be donated to Ascent
121 to brighten spirits of local sex trafficking victims and to Wellbrooke of
Carmel where Jim lived the final months of his life.