William McKay

When reflecting on the life of William McKay, it is easy to see that his love for the Lord permeated everything he said and did. He was kind, gentle, and compassionate and dearly loved and respected by all who were near. Second only to his love for the Lord was the love and devotion he had for his family as they were his greatest source of pride and joy. Bill experienced so many of the best things that life has to offer, but what made these experiences so extraordinary was sharing them with the ones he loved. Life will never be the same without him here, but he leaves behind a timeless legacy that his family and friends will proudly carry on in his footsteps.

Life in America was anything but easy during the 1930s as the entire decade was cloaked in the hardship of the Great Depression. Jobs were scare, the unemployment rate soared, and things only became more stressed with a drought that covered our nation’s heartland for nearly two years during this time. Desite the challenges around them, there was much to celebrate in the lives of William Erby and Allie Pearl (Jenkins) McKay as they were blessed with the birth of the healthy baby boy they named William Horace on April 13, 1935, in Moulton, Alabama. Raised in the family home in Moulton near Wren, he was a typical young boy of his generation. Bill’s parents were hardworking farmers, and he enjoyed riding horses from the time he was very young.

New and exciting changes were in store for Bill when he met the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Sina “Lucy” Plunkett, and they met in 1952 when he was around 18 years old. Their introduction was rather unique, too. Lucy and her sister, Mildred, were at a park in Keeler, Michigan, and they couldn’t help but notice Bill. Mildred was the one who noticed him as Jessie Jenkin’s grandson and wanted him to help her find her boyfriend. Bill agreed, but only if Lucy could sit next to him in the car, and the rest is history as they say. The couple dated for a few months before his family went back to Florida where they were living at the time. Bill and his family had only been in Michigan for seasonal work. In 1953, Bill came back, found Lucy, and asked her to marry him. She gladly accepted, and on September 19, 1953, they were married. To their marriage Lucy brought her son, Lance, and together Bill and Lucy welcomed their son, Blake, into their hearts and home. Later in life, their family grew to include two grandsons, Josh and Benjamin, and then three great-grandchildren, Carly, Cameron, and Noah. To support his family, Bill spent 25 years working as a press operator for General Motors. One of the things that was most remarkable about Bill was his drive to provide for his entire family in whatever was needed. It was also common for him to put his wife before himself in everything.

Becoming a ordained minister was Bill’s true calling, and he was a pastor in the Allegan area since 1991, at Faith Covenant Ministries. His passion was to bring as many as he could to the Lord. Bill was loved and respected by all who knew him, and a fellow pastor once said that Bill was a perfect Christian gentleman like no one he had ever met. His favorite Bible passages included Psalms 23, Psalms 91, and Ephesians 3:17-23.

Throughout his life Bill had many favorites. He enjoyed all holidays, but he especially looked forward to Thanksgiving every year since it was a time to give thanks for everything he had. Bill enjoyed traveling on his Harley-Davidson motorcycles as he had an adventurous spirit at times. Lucy tried to teach him to cook, but cooking was never really his strong suit. However, Bill did learn how to make scrambled eggs and soup. When it came to music, he liked listening to country western.

Gentle, giving, and full of a desire to love and serve others, William McKay was truly amazing. A man of his word, he was full of wisdom and eager to share it with others. Bill was a man of God whose life exemplified what it means to be the hands and feet of the Lord he loved. He was someone who was content in whatever life brought, and he could find the joy in every little thing. Deeply loved, Bill will be forever missed.

William Horace McKay, of Kalamazoo, passed away on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at the age of 82. Bill’s family includes his wife, Sina “Lucy”; son, Blake McKay, of Climax; 2 grandsons: Josh McKay, of Allegan; Benjamin McKay, of Hartford; three great grandchildren: Carly, Cameron, and Noah; sister: Ann (Gene) French, of IN; brother: Larry (Vicky) McKay, of Three Rivers; sister-in-law: Sue McKay, of Kalamazoo. Bill was preceded in death by his son, Lance McKay and one brother: Wayne McKay.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, April 13th at 11am at the Church of God, 5841 East H Ave, Kalamazoo, MI. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service starting at 10am. The McKay family would like to encourage those that have a motorcycle to dress for the weather and ride in a procession to East Cooper Cemetery for burial immediately after the service.

Please visit Bill’s webpage at www.mccowensecord.com where you can sign the guestbook and share a memory. Those who wish may make contributions to the West Michigan Cancer Center.

The family is being assisted by the McCowen & Secord Family Funeral Homes, Marshall-Gren Chapel, 120 S. Woodhams, Plainwell, MI 49080 (269-685-5881).