Daniel MacKinnon
Daniel Clyde MacKinnon, 89, died in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Friday December 14, 2018, after a brief illness.
Dan was born in Oshkosh, Wi., on Aug. 27, 1929, where his family owned the Buckstaff Furniture Manufacturing Company, and throughout his time there, he was an avid sailor and ice boater on Lake Winnebago. He later lived in New Mexico and California, before finally settling in Tennessee where he developed a passion for horseback riding, fox hunting, and training of thoroughbred race horses as well as downhill skiing. A lifelong Republican, Dan loved to discuss politics and current events.
He proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War and later received his bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California in 1957. After graduation, he worked for the Los Angeles County Tax Assessors office. He then worked for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tn. during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s. In 1972, after he had joined National Healthcare Corporation, he moved with his family to Chattanooga, to be administrator of Parkwood Healthcare Center and continued working for National Healthcare for many years in Tennessee and Georgia. In 1983, the State of Tennessee Senate passed a resolution acknowledging Dan as National Healthcare Corporation’s Administrator of the Year.
As a cradle Episcopalian, he participated as a vestry member, Bible student, and communicant throughout his life. Dan always maintained his love of helping people and some of his civic activities included the Downtown Chattanooga YMCA (board member); Kiwanis Club of East Brainerd (past president); Hosanna House (board member) and Family Children Services of Chattanooga. For a number of years, he was a volunteer at Memorial Hospital patient entrance. He loved spending time with his wife, family, and friends in their lake cabin in Spring City, Tn.
He was preceded in death in by his sister, Ellie MacKinnon Koenig (Remus); son, Andrew MacKinnon (Teresa) of Gatlinburg; and granddaughter, Tiffany MacKinnon Allen (David) of Gatlinburg and Signal Mountain.
He was a loving husband and father who is survived by his wife of 28 years, Joan Hall MacKinnon; sons Michael MacKinnon (Carol) of Signal Mountain, Tennessee and Bryan MacKinnon (Chikako) of Singapore; stepdaughter Dabney Pennybacker (Red Bank); his first wife Mayna; his grandchildren, Stacey, Taylor, Anna, Shelley, Jeanette, Julia, Casey, Robert, and Jacob, and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, at St Paul’s Episcopal Church. Interment will follow in the Chattanooga National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to Anglican Church of the Redeemer, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, or the YMCA, all of Chattanooga.
Visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share condolences with the family.
Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Friday, at the church.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Heritage funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel.