Thomas I. McKinstry

FAIRHOPE, AL Lieutenant Colonel Thomas I. McKinstry, USA (Ret.) passed away on June 1, 2016, at his home in Fairhope, Alabama with the loving support and care of his family. He was born April 12, 1935 in Tacoma Park, MD and lived in Washington D.C., Arlington, VA and Birmingham, AL during his childhood. He graduated from Sewanee Military Academy in 1953 and from Spring Hill College in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science and Commerce Degree and received a Regular Army Commission through ROTC. He completed Basic Infantry Officer and Airborne Training at Fort Benning, GA and served over two years as an Infantry Platoon Leader and Airborne Path Finder. He then completed pilot flight training at Fort Rucker, AL and was deployed to West Germany during the Berlin Wall Crisis, serving as an aircraft maintenance officer and test pilot. After more advanced pilot training, he was deployed to Vietnam and Thailand, where he flew over 300 combat assaults, while serving as a unit commander and test pilot. He was a Distinguished Graduate of the Command and General Staff College and earned a Masters of Arts Degree in Psychology and Counseling from the University of South Alabama. He completed his 21 year Army career on the faculty at the University (ROTC Department). Colonel McKinstry’s military decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Air Medal with 28 oak leaf clusters, the Army and Navy Meritorious Unit Citations and 5 Combat Campaign Ribbons. Colonel McKinstry also retired from the Mobile County Public School System, where he taught Junior ROTC at Williamson High School for over 12 years. He was awarded Teacher of the Year in 1989-1990 and is credited with obtaining nearly 100 college scholarships for his students. In the community, he along with his loving wife Lynn served as senior presenting team leaders in the Archdiocese of Mobile Catholic Engaged Encounter Ministry for over 30 years, preparing couples for marriage. He and his wife also held leadership positions in the Cursillo movement and many other diocesan and parish activities. He donated his time and talents to the local Elder Hostel Program as an informational speaker on Mobile Mardi Gras and Mobile Bay Jubilees.  He was passionate about his family and his faith, and loved spending time outdoors.He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Lynn (Lucy Lurline) Foote McKinstry; his two daughters Lynda Watson (Mike) of Houston, Texas and Kathy Zoghby (Alex) of Mobile; six grandchildren Jessica Cuthbert (Brian), Melissa Watson, Taylor Watson, Garrett Zoghby (Katie), Stephen Zoghby, and Caroline Zoghby; great granddaughters Emma Cuthbert and Mary Hyland Zoghby; brother Richard McKinstry (Laura) of Corydon, IN and Judy McKinstry of Tallahassee, FL and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Sarina Edey and Jerome Dade McKinstry; and his brother Jerome D. McKinstry, Jr.Special thanks to his devoted and loving caregivers Lynn Pogue, Tricia Moccia, and Sonya Cook.A memorial mass will be held from Christ the King Catholic Church, Thursday, June 9, 2016, at 11:00am. The family will receive friends at the church from10:00am until the service time.Inurnment and graveside services will be held in the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery at Spanish Fort, at 12:30pm, with military honors.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to 1410 Archangel Radio, P. O. Box 1526, Fairhope, AL 36533, www.archangelradio.com . ARRANGEMENTS BYWOLFE-BAYVIEWFUNERAL HOMES& CREMATORY, INC.19698 GREENO ROADFAIRHOPE, AL 36532(251)990-7775