Donald Francis McKinery

Donald Francis “Don” McKinery, 82, of Niceville, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, following an extended illness. He was surrounded by his loving family at the time of his passing.

Don was born on November 22, 1943, at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, to Francis Thomas McKinery and Marjorie Louise Stackhouse. He grew up alongside his siblings, Jane, Lucille “Luci,” William “Bill,” and Mary, and from an early age, Don had a remarkable ability to bring people together. He was known for gathering the neighborhood children for pick-up baseball games and forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. To Don, once you were a friend, you were a friend for life. His loyalty to those he loved was one of the many qualities that made him so special.

Don graduated as valedictorian of the Sayre High School Class of 1961. His lifelong love of learning led him through South Waverly Elementary School, Epiphany Catholic School, Mansfield College (now Mansfield University), and Elmira College, where he continued his education in 1972. He also earned a special education certification through St. John’s.

His working life was as varied and interesting as Don himself. Over the course of his life, he held approximately 57 different jobs and volunteer positions. He worked in special education at Gladys Burnham Elementary School and BOCES, owned and operated D&S Nursery and Model Trains in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, and later operated D&S Model Trains in Eugene, Oregon. He also shared his love of sports by coaching baseball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, basketball, and other athletic activities.

Don never seemed to meet a stranger, and he never seemed to run out of stories. His curiosity and enthusiasm carried him through an extraordinary life filled with adventures, interests, and accomplishments. In 2021, he was named a recipient of the “Wall of Fame” at D-Bat in Addison, Texas, recognizing his accomplishments in hitting at 100/113 US D-Bat facilities.

A lifelong lover of libraries, Don accumulated 38 library cards from across the United States. He traveled through all 48 contiguous states, always eager to discover another town, another library, another train, another baseball field, or another story to bring home.

His passions were many. Don loved trains—especially the Lehigh Valley Line—and model railroading. He traveled to train shows throughout the United States and always enjoyed reading. When not reading, he played baseball, softball, mush ball, track and field, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and football. He was an enthusiastic storyteller and loved road trips, photography, visiting libraries, and, perhaps most importantly, discovering the best ice cream.

Don also believed in giving his time to others. Among his volunteer activities, he volunteered with the University of Virginia and the University of South Carolina.

Throughout his life, Don called many places home, including South Waverly and Sayre and his beloved “Barn”, Pennsylvania; Montour Falls and Horseheads, New York; Dillsburg, Pennsylvania; Eugene, Oregon; and, after years of travel nursing, Middletown, Delaware, before ultimately making Niceville, Florida, his home.

On December 30, 1978, Don married Sonya Jean Kneller at West Burlington United Methodist Church in West Burlington, Pennsylvania. Sonya remained his beloved wife and lifelong companion. Together, they built a life filled with family, friendship, travel, laughter, and countless memories.

Don is survived by his wife, Sonya; his children, Brian and his wife, Amber, and Fran and her husband, Robert; and his grandchildren, David, Alaina, Kate, and Tyson. He is also survived by his siblings, Jane, Lucille “Luci,” William “Bill,” and Mary; 19 nieces and nephews; 22 great-nieces and great-nephews; and numerous extended family members and friends who were fortunate enough to know and love him.

Among those nieces, nephews, and extended family are Maria, Denise, Adrienne, Gabe, Sara, Jordan, Jeffrey, Levi, Karen, Marjorie, Joseph, Eric, Jason, Tanesha, Kara, Robert, Monica, Devan, Mason, John, Brooke, Gianna, Caden, Noah, Catherine, Addison, Audriana, Giovanni, Alexandra, Cameron, Wesley, Lindy, Paxton, Cheyenne, Violet, Riley, Dean, Cameron, Thomas, Blake, Jaydon, Wesson, Colton and Edie.

Don’s life cannot be measured simply by the number of places he lived, jobs he held, states he visited, library cards he collected, trains he admired, or sports he played. His greatest accomplishment was the countless lives he touched. He had a gift for making people feel like they belonged, for turning acquaintances into friends, and for making ordinary moments into stories worth remembering.

He will be remembered for his tremendous curiosity, his love of family and friends, his loyalty, his storytelling, his sense of adventure, and his unmistakable enthusiasm for the things that brought him joy. Don lived a life that was full, unconventional, wonderfully busy, and uniquely his own.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests planting a “Future Baseball Bat” tree—such as an ash, birch, hickory, or maple—or donating in Don’s memory to the Niceville Library or Emerald Coast Hospice.

Though his journey has come to an end, the stories, friendships, laughter, and memories Don created along the way will continue to live on in all who knew and loved him.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donald Francis McKinery, please visit our floral store.