Howard Douglas McKinley

Howard Douglas McKinley, 86, passed away peacefully at home Saturday, May 16, 2026. He was born in Covington, Kentucky, January 11, 1940 to the late William Robert and Daisy Udry McKinley. Doug is survived by his wife of 61 years, Linda Wooten McKinley, son, Matthew McKinley (Samantha) of Louisville and daughter, Laura Hughes (Dan) of Frankfort. In addition he is survived by four grandchildren; Christopher Hughes (Evelyn). Bradley Hughes, Gunnar and Emma McKinley. He attended Erlanger Lloyd High School, received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown College and Masters degree from the University of Cincinnati. His career began as a high school science teacher at Erlanger Lloyd and after receiving his Masters degree in Counseling he became the Guidance Counselor at Northern Kentucky Vocational School. In 1969 he moved his family to Frankfort after being named the coordinator for Vocational Guidance Services in the Kentucky Department of Education. During his long tenure at KDE he wore several hats. He was the director of the Practical Arts Career Exploration unit, unit director of the Division of School Improvement, unit director of the Office of Research and Planning, and finally the program manager of the Division of School Based Decision Making. After retiring from KDE he was able to work with young people again as guidance counselor at Christian Academy of Louisville. Doug was an enthusiastic sports fan. He played football and basketball in high school and never lost his love for sports. He was always cheering on the Georgetown Tigers, UK Wildcats, Bengals and Reds. He was a faithful fan, even in the rough seasons, and attended many, many games over the years. Doug enjoyed being a member of the Capital City Chorale and the Bluegrass Theatre Guild. As a member of the Guild he played a number of different characters over the years, from the Frenchman in "South Pacific" to Stromboli in "Pinocchio." Above all, Doug loved his church. He was a member of First Baptist Church for fifty seven years and served in many capacities. He taught Sunday School for most of those fifty seven years to all ages, from teens to seniors. He enjoyed singing in the choir and served on numerous committees. He served as deacon for many years and was named Deacon Emeritus in 2017. Visitation will be on Wednesday, May 27, from !0:00 a.m. - 1:oo p.m. at First Baptist Church. with the memorial service following at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky, to support their research on Alzheimer's Disease. Arrangements are under the direction of LeCompte Johnson Taylor Funeral Home.

Howard Douglas McKinley

January 11, 1940 - May 16, 2026