Joyce Yvonne McKinney

Joyce Yvonne McKinney was born on March 12, 1938, to the late Golden Wallace Wade and Christibel McKinney in Butler, Kentucky. She departed this life on Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center in Louisville, Kentucky. She was the second eldest of seven children. She was preceded in death by her younger brother, James Leo McKinney. Joyce attended and excelled at the Sugar Grove Schoolhouse and from there to High School, at State Street in Bowling Green, Kentucky, graduating as Class Valedictorian in 1955. Joyce attended Kentucky State University for three years after which she transferred to Western Kentucky University (WKU) for Pre-Med. She then enrolled at the Old General Nursing School in Louisville, graduating in 1961.

Joyce had a loving support system as she was growing up on the farm in Sugar Grove. In addition to her mother, she had the loving support of her  maternal grandfather, James McKinney, and Aunt Margie Skiles. It was this love and devotion that led Joyce to accept Christ as her personal Savior at the tender age of eight. She became a member of the Church of Christ faith. Upon graduating, Joyce was offered to be Head Nurse, at Old General at 23, of a new therapy ward which has now become Frazier Health. In September 1966, Joyce enlisted ni the United States Army with the Vietnam Conflict. Joyce became a Psychiatric Nurse, seeing that the mind needed to heal as well as the body.

With her hard work and commitment to her country, Joyce rose to the rank of Major. In 1972, Major McKinney was deployed to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, Department of Neuro-Psychiatric Medicine. It was there that she received the National Defense Medal. After her honorable discharge from the Army, she became a Registered Nurse in Psychiatric Medicine at the Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC. Upon her initial arrival to DC, she united with the Thirteenth Street Church of Christ, giving faithful service and even recording an album with the choir. She served as Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday School Program and Vice President of Women's Ministry. Joyce was a very lovable person and was soon adopted by the Heath Family (Junius and Sammie Mae Heath) as their daughter and when her son Rhonney was born, they were blessed with a new grandson. Though the grandparents are now with the Lord, that circle has yet to be broken. In 1985, she moved her membership to the Rhema Christian Center. In 1994, Joyce experienced an Aortic Aneurysm and took early retirement in 1995. 

The rest of her life's work became the work of an evangelist and a prayer warrior. She did volunteer work at her Church and helped c out with the Church's School. In 2013, Joyce moved back to Louisville and became a member of Christ's Church for Our Community under the leadership of Dr. Frank M. Smith, Jr. Joyce never stopped being a true scholar, especially of the Word. She loved reading, writing, singing, cooking, eating and especially keeping in touch with family and friends, near and far. But nothing was more precious to her than the time spent with her beloved son, Rhonney. Joyce leaves to cherish her memories: one son, Rhonney A. Greene, four brothers: Ronald (Geraldine), Frank (Karen) and Neal McKinney of Louisville, and William (Sandra) McKinney of Dallas, Texas. One sister: Clematis Johnson Wallace of Louisville and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, friends, the Heath family and a beloved adopted spiritual daughter, "Cookie" Kamala Carter. Joyce was preceded in death by a younger brother, James Leo McKinney.